St. Mary 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.

Centerville, Louisiana - 21 schools

An equity score of 37/100 ranks St. Mary Parish #130 of 175 districts in Louisiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,564 per pupil, St. Mary Parish ranks #144 of 188 Louisiana districts by per-pupil spending (Louisiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

8,054
Total Enrollment
21
Schools
$13,564
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

St. Mary Parish operates 21 public schools serving 8,054 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Louisiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 11 combined, 5 high, 4 middle, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage 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 St. Mary Parish.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,564 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 42.2% local, 40.8% state, and 17.0% 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 37/100, ranked #130 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 336.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 14.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 42.3% African American, 31.5% White, 18.1% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is M.E. Norman Elementary School, with a diversity index of 71.7/100.

Its largest campus is Morgan City High School, enrolling 650 students (9% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is B. Edward Boudreaux Middle School, at 150 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

St. Mary Parish school enrollment varies 4.3× across entities

St. Mary Parish school enrollment ranges from 150 students (lowest) to 650 students (highest), a spread of 500 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

St. Mary Parish has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 70.8% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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

St. Mary Parish student-counselor ratio is 336:1 — 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 St. Mary Parish is typically wider than the St. Mary Parish-aggregate figure suggests.

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

St. Mary Parish chronic absenteeism rate is 14.1% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Where does the funding come from?

17.0%
Federal
40.8%
State
42.2%
Local

Funding Equity

37
Equity Score
130 / 175
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 21 schools in St. Mary Parish.

White 31.5%
Hispanic or Latino 18.1%
African American 42.3%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 6.8%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 54.4/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 M.E. Norman Elementary School 71.7
  2. 2 Wyandotte Elementary School 71.0
  3. 3 Morgan City High School 69.4
  4. 4 Hattie a. Watts Elementary School 68.4
  5. 5 Morgan City Junior High School 68.4

Programs & Resources

336.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
14.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in St. Mary Parish

School Enrollment
Morgan City High School
650
Hattie a. Watts Elementary School
601
Berwick High School
469
Patterson High School
439
Centerville High School
429
Berwick Elementary School
420
Morgan City Junior High School
412
Patterson Junior High School
374
Bayou Vista Elementary School
340
M.E. Norman Elementary School
335
Berwick Junior High School
325
Franklin Senior High School
304
Wyandotte Elementary School
300
West St. Mary High School
276
Raintree Elementary School
254
J.S. Aucoin Elementary School
237
W.P. Foster Elementary School
222
Lagrange Elementary School
221
Julia B. Maitland School
199
Franklin Junior High School
196
B. Edward Boudreaux Middle School
150

How St. Mary Parish Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Louisiana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
St. Bernard Parish Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
St. Martin Parish Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
City of Monroe School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Vernon Parish Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
St. Charles Parish Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

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

Compare St. Mary 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 St. Mary Parish?

St. Mary Parish has 21 schools, including 5 high, 11 combined, 4 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 8,054 students.

How much does St. Mary Parish spend per student?

St. Mary Parish spends $13,564 per student. The district has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #130 in Louisiana.

What is the demographic composition of St. Mary Parish?

St. Mary Parish students are 42.3% African American, 31.5% White, 18.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 21 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for St. Mary Parish?

St. Mary Parish has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #130 out of 175 districts in Louisiana.