Central Louisiana News

There were 1,038 Black students enrolled in Vernon Parish schools in the 2023-24 school year, 0.4% more than the previous year, according to the Louisiana Department of Education.

Data showed that Vernon Parish welcomed 8,110 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 12.8% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the parish.

Among the 18 schools within the parish, Leesville High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 195 students.

According to a 2023 Scholaroo study, Louisiana's educational performance is among the lowest in the nation, ranking second-to-last behind Arizona. The state ranked poorly in key metrics such as school quality, student achievement, and teacher-student ratios.

School name	% of Black students enrollment	Number of Black Students	Total Enrollment
East Leesville Elementary School	35.4%	110	311
Vernon Middle School	29.8%	111	373
West Leesville Elementary School	29.5%	151	512
Leesville Junior High School	29%	123	424
North Polk Elementary School	26%	86	331
Leesville High School	25.9%	195	754
Parkway Elementary School	18.8%	100	531
Pickering High School	12.9%	51	395
Pickering Elementary School	9.9%	53	538
Rosepine Elementary School	4.5%	38	847
Rosepine High School	2.6%	14	541
Anacoco High School	0.7%	2	293
Simpson High School	0.4%	1	239
Evans High School	0.3%	1	370
Hicks High School	0.3%	1	357
Anacoco Elementary School	0.2%	1	507