River Parish News

Of the many ethnicities represented in St. John the Baptist Parish schools, Black was the most prevalent ethnicity among St. John the Baptist Parish students in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Louisiana Department of Education.

Of the 4,980 students attending St. John the Baptist Parish schools, 72.7% were Black. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity making up 14.9% of St. John the Baptist Parish students.

In the previous school year, Black was also the most common student ethnicity in St. John the Baptist Parish, representing 73.6% of the student body.

Emily C. Watkins Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, which included 55% Black students, 23.5% Hispanic students, 15.1% white students, 5.4% multiracial students, and 1.1% Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students.

Compared to the previous year, total enrollment in public schools in the county increased by 1.9%, in the 2022-23 school year

In 2022, there was roughly one teacher for every 18 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. A higher student-to-teacher ratio has been found to negatively impact students' school performance.

The majority of Louisiana students were identified as white and Black, representing 48% and 37% of the state student body respectively during the 2021-22 academic year. Hispanic students made up 8.6% of the student body, and other ethnic minorities made up 5.6%.

Only 22% of Louisiana’s teachers are Black or Latino, compared to about 48% of the state's K–12 students who identify as either race.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
East St. John High School	Black	72.8%	1,245
Laplace Elementary School	Black	74.7%	730
Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School	Black	71.1%	730
Emily C. Watkins Elementary School	Black	55%	464
East St. John Preparatory Academy	Black	79.2%	365
John L. Ory Communications Magnet Elementary School	Black	46.3%	363
Fifth Ward Elementary School	Black	76.7%	330
Garyville/Mt. Airy Math & Science Magnet School.	Black	80.2%	318
West St. John Elementary School (K-7)	Black	99.2%	239
West St. John High School	Black	98.5%	196