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 other, 5 high, 4 middle, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 7,153 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in St. Mary Parish County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,817 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 42.2% local, 40.8% state, and 17.0% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $64,669 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 29/100, ranked #156 of 176 in Louisiana against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 336.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, 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.
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.
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). 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.
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.
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.
St. Mary Parish has 21 schools, including 5 high, 11 other, 4 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 8,054 students.
How much does St. Mary Parish spend per student?
St. Mary Parish spends $13,817 per student. The district has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #156 in Louisiana.
What is the average teacher salary in St. Mary Parish?
The average teacher salary in St. Mary Parish is $64,669 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near St. Mary Parish?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in St. Mary Parish County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
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 29/100, ranking #156 out of 176 districts in Louisiana. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.