• Advocate staff report
• Published: Jun 14, 2009

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Finding a school

Data on individual schools is in the Louisiana School Directory, found at libraries and online at http://www.doe.state. la.us/lde/directory/home.html.

It lists 165 schools, excluding colleges, in East Baton Rouge Parish: 109 public schools and 53 private ones.

The directory offers basic information, including location, enrollment, religious affiliation, grade configuration and size of teaching staff.

Choosing a district

East Baton Rouge Parish has four public school districts: The East Baton Rouge Parish school system has 85 schools with 44,200 students, Baker has six schools with 1,800 students, Central has five schools with 3,700 students and Zachary has five schools with 4,600 students. Baker and Zachary began operating in 2003, while Central started in 2007.

Private schools

Louisiana has a long tradition of private schooling. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, almost 30 percent of school-age children in East Baton Rouge Parish attended private schools.

The largest private school system is run by the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge, which operates 33 schools in eight parishes, including 17 in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Academic performance

Louisiana gives all public schools an annual school performance score, based largely on standardized test scores, to help residents gauge a school’s academics. Scores range from 0 to a theoretical maximum of 379; for high schools, the top possible score is 186. The state has set 120 points as the goal for all schools in Louisiana to reach by the year 2014.

Currently, the state average is 85.7. Locally, the averages are as follows: East Baton Rouge Parish, 72.3; Baker, 58.4; and Zachary, 110.1. Central will not receive its first score until spring 2010.

Individual school report cards are available online at http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/saa/2612.asp. Private schools do not disclose standardized test scores, but if asked some will release them.