Jefferson Davis Parish

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Jennings, Louisiana - 12 schools

An equity score of 42/100 ranks Jefferson Davis Parish #113 of 175 districts in Louisiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,526 per pupil, Jefferson Davis Parish ranks #146 of 188 Louisiana districts by per-pupil spending (Louisiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,595
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$13,526
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Jefferson Davis Parish operates 12 public schools serving 5,595 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Louisiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 10 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Jefferson Davis Parish.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,526 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 188 Louisiana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Louisiana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 36.1% local, 49.2% state, and 14.6% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 42/100, ranked #113 of 175 in Louisiana against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 308.3:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 6.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 66.8% White, 17.7% African American, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Elton Elementary School, with a diversity index of 71.2/100.

Its largest campus is Jennings Elementary School, enrolling 976 students (19% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Fenton Elementary School, at 73 students, a 13x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Jennings Elementary School accounts for 17.4% of all Jefferson Davis Parish student enrollment

That concentration means Jefferson Davis Parish-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Jefferson Davis Parish school enrollment varies 13× across entities

Jefferson Davis Parish school enrollment ranges from 73 students (lowest) to 976 students (highest), a spread of 903 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Jefferson Davis Parish has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 61.4% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Jefferson Davis Parish student-counselor ratio is 308:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Jefferson Davis Parish is typically wider than the Jefferson Davis Parish-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Jefferson Davis Parish chronic absenteeism rate is 6.5% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

14.6%
Federal
49.2%
State
36.1%
Local

Funding Equity

42
Equity Score
113 / 175
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 12 schools in Jefferson Davis Parish.

White 66.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
African American 17.7%
Multiracial 10.0%
Other 1.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 47.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Jefferson Davis Parish's schools, above the Louisiana average of 43.9.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Elton Elementary School 71.2
  2. 2 Elton High School 68.9
  3. 3 Fenton Elementary School 63.0
  4. 4 Jennings Elementary School 62.4
  5. 5 Jennings High School 56.6

Programs & Resources

308.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
6.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Jefferson Davis Parish

School Enrollment
Jennings Elementary School
976
Jennings High School
775
Lacassine High School
587
Hathaway High School
566
Welsh Elementary School
499
Lake Arthur Elementary School
441
Lake Arthur High School
365
Welsh High School
263
Elton High School
245
Elton Elementary School
221
Welsh-Roanoke Junior High School
199
Fenton Elementary School
73

How Jefferson Davis Parish Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Louisiana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Webster Parish Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Natchitoches Parish Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Evangeline Parish Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
St. John the Baptist Parish Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Lincoln Parish Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Jefferson Davis Parish's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Louisiana

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Jefferson Parish
50,628 students · 82 schools · $16,675/pupil
Compare vs Jefferson Davis Parish →
East Baton Rouge Parish
43,253 students · 83 schools · $15,604/pupil
Compare vs Jefferson Davis Parish →
St. Tammany Parish
39,559 students · 55 schools · $14,024/pupil
Compare vs Jefferson Davis Parish →
Caddo Parish
36,147 students · 59 schools · $14,387/pupil
Compare vs Jefferson Davis Parish →
Lafayette Parish
32,377 students · 45 schools · $11,837/pupil
Compare vs Jefferson Davis Parish →

Compare Jefferson Davis Parish

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Jefferson Parish →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Jefferson Davis Parish?

Jefferson Davis Parish has 12 schools, including 10 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 5,595 students.

How much does Jefferson Davis Parish spend per student?

Jefferson Davis Parish spends $13,526 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #113 in Louisiana.

What is the demographic composition of Jefferson Davis Parish?

Jefferson Davis Parish students are 66.8% White, 17.7% African American, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Jefferson Davis Parish?

Jefferson Davis Parish has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #113 out of 175 districts in Louisiana.