Orleans 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.

New Orleans, Louisiana - 5 schools

An equity score of 73/100 ranks Orleans Parish #18 of 175 districts in Louisiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $45,736 per pupil, Orleans Parish ranks #2 of 188 Louisiana districts by per-pupil spending (Louisiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,040
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$45,736
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Orleans Parish operates 5 public schools serving 2,040 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Louisiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 1 high schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Orleans Parish.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $45,736 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 19 of 188 Louisiana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Louisiana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 61.2% local, 33.8% state, and 5.0% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 73/100, ranked #18 of 175 in Louisiana against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 77:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 20.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.6% African American, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Elan Academy Charter School, with a diversity index of 23.2/100.

Its largest campus is Benjamin Franklin Elem. Math and Science, enrolling 739 students (36% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is The Delores Taylor Arthur School for Young Men, at 77 students, a 10x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Benjamin Franklin Elem. Math and Science accounts for 36.2% of all Orleans Parish student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Orleans 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

Orleans Parish school enrollment varies 9.6× across entities

Orleans Parish school enrollment ranges from 77 students (lowest) to 739 students (highest), a spread of 662 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

Orleans Parish has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 84.7% 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 — including this one — 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

Orleans Parish student-counselor ratio is 77:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Orleans Parish chronic absenteeism rate is 20.7% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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 Variation between sub-units within Orleans Parish is typically wider than the Orleans Parish-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

5.0%
Federal
33.8%
State
61.2%
Local

Funding Equity

73
Equity Score
18 / 175
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in Orleans Parish.

White 0.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
African American 92.6%
Multiracial 1.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 13.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Orleans Parish's schools, below the Louisiana average of 43.9.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Elan Academy Charter School 23.2
  2. 2 Travis Hill School 15.7
  3. 3 Benjamin Franklin Elem. Math and Science 13.2
  4. 4 The Delores Taylor Arthur School for Young Men 10.0
  5. 5 Mary Bethune Elementary Literature/Technology 6.8

Programs & Resources

77:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
20.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Orleans Parish

School Enrollment
Benjamin Franklin Elem. Math and Science
Charter
739
Mary Bethune Elementary Literature/Technology
Charter
659
Elan Academy Charter School
Charter
436
Travis Hill School
117
The Delores Taylor Arthur School for Young Men
Charter
77

How Orleans Parish Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Louisiana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Winn Parish Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Bienville Parish Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
The Willow School Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Jackson Parish Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Union Parish Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Orleans 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 Orleans Parish →
East Baton Rouge Parish
43,253 students · 83 schools · $15,604/pupil
Compare vs Orleans Parish →
St. Tammany Parish
39,559 students · 55 schools · $14,024/pupil
Compare vs Orleans Parish →
Caddo Parish
36,147 students · 59 schools · $14,387/pupil
Compare vs Orleans Parish →
Lafayette Parish
32,377 students · 45 schools · $11,837/pupil
Compare vs Orleans Parish →

Compare Orleans 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 Orleans Parish?

Orleans Parish has 5 schools, including 4 combined, 1 high. Total enrollment is 2,040 students.

How much does Orleans Parish spend per student?

Orleans Parish spends $45,736 per student. The district has an equity score of 73/100, ranking #18 in Louisiana.

What is the demographic composition of Orleans Parish?

Orleans Parish students are 92.6% African American, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% White, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Orleans Parish?

Orleans Parish has an equity score of 73/100, ranking #18 out of 175 districts in Louisiana.