Absence
Louisiana's W-Shaped Attendance Crisis: The Recovery That Reversed
Louisiana's chronic absenteeism followed a W-shaped pattern after COVID, dropping sharply then reversing course. The state remains 4.9 points above pre-pandemic levels.
Louisiana
Education News & Data
Local education reporting from every corner of Louisiana, grounded in Louisiana Department of Education data.
Five Louisiana Parish Systems Improved in an Attendance Pilot. West Baton Rouge Led the Group
Five Louisiana parish systems in an attendance pilot improved in 2024-25. West Baton Rouge paired the largest proportional drop with a longer streak.
St. Charles Parish Posted Louisiana's Lowest Parish Absence Rate
St. Charles Parish cut chronic absenteeism from 17.5% to 7.7% in three annual improvements, while Louisiana remained above its pre-pandemic rate.
Stacy Bradford Takes On a Larger Scotlandville Pre-Engineering Academy
Scotlandville Pre-Engineering Academy's enrollment rose sharply as Stacy Bradford became principal, with realignment and the school's magnet identity shaping the assignment.
Only One in Four Louisiana Districts Has Recovered to Pre-Pandemic Attendance Levels
Only 36 of 139 Louisiana districts have returned to pre-COVID chronic absenteeism rates. The state remains 4.9 points above its 2019 baseline.
More Coverage
Enrollment
58 Louisiana Systems Just Hit Record Enrollment Lows
58 of 79 traditional parish and city school systems recorded their lowest enrollment in the 2019-2026 data window, including seven of the 10 largest.
District Spotlight
Ascension Parish Has Not Broken 16% in Six Years
Among Louisiana's largest parishes, Ascension stands alone for chronic absenteeism consistency: below the state average every year since 2019, with a standard deviation of just 2.1 points.
District Spotlight
Zero of 19 Parishes Growing: North Louisiana's Enrollment Freefall
Caddo, Ouachita, and Rapides parishes lost a combined 10,426 students since 2018-19. Every parish in the article's North Louisiana region declined.
Personnel
Terran Perry Takes Woodlawn Middle With a Turnaround Charge
Incoming Woodlawn Middle leader Terran Perry says school culture, community support, and transformation work will define the first year.
District Spotlight
East Baton Rouge's Graduation Rate Is Stuck in the 70s, Lowest Among Major Parishes
East Baton Rouge Parish graduated 76.3% of students in 2025, nearly 9 points below the state average and the lowest rate among Louisiana's major parishes.
Demographics
Hispanic Students Graduate at Just 73% in Louisiana, a 17-Point Gap With White Peers
Louisiana's Hispanic graduation rate of 72.8% sits nearly 17 points behind white students; after large swings, the gap ended 1 point narrower than in 2018.
Graduation Rate
21 Louisiana Parishes Are at Their All-Time Highest Graduation Rate
Twenty-one Louisiana parishes hit their all-time highest graduation rate in 2025, spanning turnaround stories and established performers, while only 2 regular parishes sit at lows.
Demographics
Louisiana's Fastest-Growing Student Group Has 27,000 Members
Multiracial enrollment grew 41.7% in seven years, outpacing every other racial group. The surge is concentrated in suburban parishes and reflects both demographic change and shifting identity.
Absence
Nine Louisiana Parishes Hit All-Time High Chronic Absenteeism in 2025, Even as the State Improved
Nine Louisiana parishes hit their worst-ever chronic absenteeism rates in 2025, led by Winn Parish at 40.8%, even as the state improved overall.
Absence
New Orleans Schools Span the Full Range of Chronic Absenteeism, From Near Zero to 70 Percent
Among individual New Orleans schools in 2025, chronic absenteeism ranged from near zero at Einstein Charter at Village De L'Est to 70.4 percent at McDonogh 35, against a statewide rate of 22.5 percent.
