Central Louisiana News

There were 50 Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students enrolled in Vernon Parish schools in the 2022-23 school year, 10.7% less than the previous year, according to the Louisiana Department of Education.

Data showed that Vernon Parish welcomed 8,040 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students comprised 0.6% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the parish.

Among the 18 schools in Vernon Parish, Leesville High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of nine students.

The majority of Louisiana students were either white (48%) or Black (37%) in the 2021-22 school year.

In 2022, there was roughly one teacher for every 18 students compared to the national average of one teacher for 16 students. Teachers handling a higher number of students was found to have negative consequences for students’ school performance.

School name	% of Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students enrollment	Enrollment of Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Students
Vernon Middle School	2%	8
Pickering High School	1.6%	6
North Polk Elementary School	1.3%	4
Leesville High School	1.2%	9
Pickering Elementary School	1.1%	7
Parkway Elementary School	1%	5
West Leesville Elementary School	1%	5
Leesville Junior High School	0.8%	3
East Leesville Elementary School	0.6%	2
Evans High School	0.3%	1