Dive Brief:
- Louisiana's public school enrollment rose for the ninth year in a row, continuing a steady rise since 2005, when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita led to a 10% drop in enrollment.
- The 4,800-student increase (roughly calculated to 1%) is important given the impact of head counts on district budgets.
- The largest school systems in the state are Jefferson, New Orleans (which actually has three systems), and East Baton Rouge.
Dive Insight:
Most interesting from the report is the fact that Louisiana's Hispanic enrollment grew more than any other demographic, seeing a 15% increase since last year. This is being attributed to the influx of Central American immigrants coming to the US in the middle of last year.
What is somewhat unclear about the report is how charter schools fit into the equation. While New Orleans is famously the first US district to be comprised solely of charter schools, it was named the second largest public school system in the state. Since charter schools still receive public funding, it would appear that they are being included as public schools.