Central Louisiana News

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

Of the 22,152 students attending Rapides Parish schools, 47.7% were white. Black students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 41.8% of Rapides Parish students.

In the previous school year, white was also the most common student ethnicity in Rapides Parish, representing 48.3% of the student body.

Cherokee Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, which included 48.7% Black students, 26.7% white students, 13.3% Hispanic students, 5.7% multiracial students, 5% Asian students, 0.3% American Indian students, and 0.2% Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students.

Compared to the previous year, total enrollment in public schools in the county increased by 0.5% 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
Alexandria Senior High School	White	46.8%	1,465
Pineville High School	White	59%	1,260
J. I. Barron Senior Elementary School	White	60%	934
Buckeye High School	White	97.2%	924
Tioga High School	White	66.3%	904
Scott M. Brame Middle School	Black	56.6%	762
Peabody Magnet High School	Black	97.9%	728
Oak Hill High School	White	90.5%	726
Glenmora High School	White	55.6%	671
Northwood High School	White	56.7%	628
Cherokee Elementary School	Black	48.7%	577
J. B. Nachman Elementary School	White	46.2%	572
Alexandria Middle Magnet School	Black	86.9%	563
Pineville Junior High School	White	54.8%	558
Mabel Brasher Montessori	Black	83.9%	522
Forest Hill Junior High School	Hispanic	56.5%	506
Tioga Elementary School	White	64.7%	498
Bolton High School	Black	80%	486
Peabody Montessori Elementary School	Black	51.8%	467
Tioga Junior High School	White	71.8%	451
Buckeye Elementary School	White	93%	442
Ruby-Wise Elementary School	White	88.9%	425
Ball Elementary School	White	69.2%	413
Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School	Black	97%	400
Lessie Moore Elementary School	Black	71%	393
Rosenthal Montessori Elementary School	Black	74.8%	385
Hayden R. Lawrence Upper Elementary School	White	95%	382
Caroline Dormon Junior High School	White	89.9%	378
D. F. Huddle Elementary School	Black	93.6%	377
L. S. Rugg Elementary School	Black	92.3%	362
Mary Goff Elementary School	White	82.7%	359
Paradise Elementary School	White	69.5%	354
Poland Junior High School	White	73.6%	333
Plainview High School	White	80.5%	318
Phoenix Magnet Elementary School	White	59.4%	310
Acadian Elementary School	Black	95.4%	285
Horseshoe Drive Elementary New Vision Academy	Black	87.5%	279
Pineville Elementary School	Black	67%	270
Rapides High School	White	43.7%	254
Martin Park Elementary School	Black	89.1%	238
Alma Redwine Elementary School	Black	94.8%	212
Carter C. Raymond Junior High School	Black	79.4%	160
Jackson Head Start	Black	92.6%	148
Lee Head Start	Black	99.2%	124
McKeithen Head Start	Black	84.3%	121
Pinecrest Supports & Services Center	White	54.3%	81
the Pines Head Start	Black	81.7%	71
Rapides Training Academy	Black	51.6%	64
Renaissance Home for Youth	Black	100%	12