River Parish News

Black students comprised the most prevalent ethnic group in St. John the Baptist Parish schools during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Louisiana Department of Education.

Of the 5,148 students attending St. John the Baptist Parish schools, 71.9% were Black. Hispanic or Latino students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 16.3% 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 72.7% of the student body.

Emily C. Watkins Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, which included 54.5% Black students, 24.6% Hispanic students, 15.8% white students, 3.9% multiracial students, 1% Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students, and 0.2% American Indian students.

Compared to the previous year, total enrollment in public schools in the county increased by 3.4% in the 2023-24 school year

The majority of Louisiana students identified themselves 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%.

However, the teaching staff in Louisiana doesn't fully mirror the student body's demographics, with only 22% of teachers identified as Black or Latino.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
East St. John High School	Black	72.9%	1,321
Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School	Black	69.8%	782
Laplace Elementary School	Black	71.9%	747
Emily C. Watkins Elementary School	Black	54.5%	512
John L. Ory Communications Magnet Elementary School	Black	54.4%	399
East St. John Preparatory Academy	Black	80.3%	340
Fifth Ward Elementary School	Black	75.9%	336
Garyville/Mt. Airy Math & Science Magnet School.	Black	77.8%	329
West St. John Elementary School (K-7)	Black	99.5%	200
West St. John High School	Black	97.3%	182