Louisiana Education Statistics 2026: Schools, Enrollment & Spending
Louisiana reported 666,840 public school students, 1,308 operating schools, 189 operating districts, and 48,637 full-time-equivalent teachers in school year 2024–25.
Fiscal year 2024 current spending was $15,581 per pupil. School counts and enrollment come from NCES, while finance measures come from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Louisiana Education Snapshot
Each statistic retains the reporting period used by its official source.
Louisiana and U.S. Current Spending per Pupil
Public elementary-secondary school systems, fiscal year 2024
Current spending covers operating costs and excludes capital outlay, debt service, and non-elementary-secondary programs. Values are not adjusted for inflation or regional prices.
Chart analysis
- Louisiana current spending was $2,038 per pupil below the national average.
- The Louisiana value was 11.6% below the U.S. figure.
- Both values are nominal FY2024 amounts.
- Capital projects and debt payments are outside this spending measure.
Louisiana Public Education Indicator Table
The comparison column reports Louisiana’s share of published national counts. The 2024–25 U.S. teacher total and pupil–teacher ratio are unavailable because Tennessee teacher data are not reported.
| Indicator | Louisiana | U.S. | Comparison | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student membership | 666,840 | 49,269,882 | 1.35% of U.S. | 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Operating schools | 1,308 | 99,073 | 1.32% of U.S. | 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Operating districts | 189 | 19,183 | 0.99% of U.S. | 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Teacher FTE | 48,637 | — | U.S. total unavailable | 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Pupil–teacher ratio | 13.7 | — | U.S. ratio unavailable | 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Regular schools | 1,255 | 90,249 | 1.39% of U.S. | 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Special education schools | 13 | 1,859 | 0.70% of U.S. | 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Career and technical schools | 10 | 1,587 | 0.63% of U.S. | 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Alternative education schools | 30 | 5,378 | 0.56% of U.S. | 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Charter schools | 146 | 8,048 | 1.81% of U.S. | 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Charter share of schools | 11.2% | 8.1% | +3.0 points | 2024–25 | Derived from NCES |
| Current spending per pupil | $15,581 | $17,619 | −$2,038 | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Federal revenue share | 19.2% | 11.6% | +7.6 points | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
Table analysis
- Louisiana accounted for 1.35% of national public school membership in 2024–25.
- The state reported a 13.7 pupil–teacher ratio. A 2024–25 U.S. ratio is not published because Tennessee teacher data are unavailable.
- Charter schools represented 11.2% of Louisiana operating schools, compared with 8.1% nationally.
- Louisiana’s federal revenue share was 7.6 percentage points above the national share.
- Charter status overlaps the NCES school-type categories and must not be added to the four school-type counts.
- Finance figures and NCES membership figures use different reporting rules and periods.
Public School Enrollment Trend
NCES Common Core of Data counts for four consecutive school years.
Louisiana Student Membership, 2021–22 to 2024–25
Public pre-K through grade 13 membership, excluding adult education
Membership decreased by 41,350 students between 2023–24 and 2024–25, leaving the latest count below the 2021–22 level.
Trend analysis
- Membership reached 718,145 in 2022–23.
- The 2023–24 count declined by 9,955 students, or 1.4%.
- The 2024–25 count declined by 41,350 students, or 5.8%, from 2023–24.
- Membership in 2024–25 was 16,376 students below the 2021–22 level.
| School year | Schools | Districts | Membership | Teacher FTE | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | 1,367 | 198 | 683,216 | 38,773 | 17.6 |
| 2022–23 | 1,337 | 194 | 718,145 | 41,110 | 17.5 |
| 2023–24 | 1,316 | 190 | 708,190 | 48,864 | 14.5 |
| 2024–25 | 1,308 | 189 | 666,840 | 48,637 | 13.7 |
Table analysis
- Operating school counts declined from 1,367 to 1,308 across the four releases.
- Operating district counts declined from 198 to 189.
- Reported teacher FTE measured 48,637 in 2024–25, down 227 from the prior year.
- The pupil–teacher ratio moved from 14.5 in 2023–24 to 13.7 in 2024–25.
- Changes in reported teacher counts can reflect staffing changes, reporting revisions, or both.
Louisiana Public Schools by Type
The four NCES school types are mutually exclusive. Charter is a separate status classification.
Operating School Type Distribution
School year 2024–25
Regular schools accounted for 95.9% of the 1,308 operating schools classified by NCES.
Chart analysis
- 1,255 schools were classified as regular schools.
- Alternative education accounted for 30 schools.
- Special education and career and technical classifications totaled 23 schools.
| Classification | Classification basis | Schools | Share | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | School type | 1,255 | 95.9% | 2024–25 |
| Special education | School type | 13 | 1.0% | 2024–25 |
| Career and technical | School type | 10 | 0.8% | 2024–25 |
| Alternative education | School type | 30 | 2.3% | 2024–25 |
| All operating schools | School-type total | 1,308 | 100.0% | 2024–25 |
| Charter | Status; overlaps school types | 146 | 11.2% | 2024–25 |
Table analysis
- The four school-type rows sum to the statewide total of 1,308.
- Charter status applied to 146 schools.
- Charter schools are already included within the operating-school total.
What the Louisiana Data Shows
The measures describe system scale, staffing, school organization, and public school finance.
Enrollment Scale
Louisiana represented 1.35% of national public school membership in the 2024–25 NCES data.
School Structure
Regular schools made up 95.9% of operating schools. Charter status applied to 11.2% of the 2024–25 statewide total.
Operating Spending
Louisiana’s FY2024 current spending per pupil was below the national average. The measure does not include construction or debt service.
Revenue Mix
Federal sources supplied 19.2% of Louisiana school-system revenue, compared with 11.6% nationally.
Reporting Periods
School statistics use school years. Finance statistics use fiscal years. The two periods should remain separately labeled.
Enrollment Denominators
NCES statewide membership and Census finance enrollment can differ because the finance survey applies separate reporting-unit and enrollment rules.
Source and Methodology
Schools, Districts, Enrollment, and Teachers
NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25 Summary Table 2. The source uses 2024–25 Final Version 1a school, agency, and state nonfiscal files.
School Types and Charter Status
NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25 Summary Table 3. Every operating school receives one school type; charter is recorded separately.
Historical School Counts
NCES 2022–23 Summary Table 2 and NCES 2021–22 Summary Table 2.
Per-Pupil Comparison
U.S. School System Current Spending per Pupil by Region, FY2024.
Louisiana Data Portal
Louisiana Department of Education enrollment data and financial data provide state files by school and school system.
Coverage: NCES counts include operating public elementary and secondary schools and districts. Membership includes prekindergarten through grade 13 and excludes adult education. Teachers are reported as full-time equivalents. The 2024–25 U.S. teacher total and pupil–teacher ratio are unavailable because Tennessee teacher data are not reported.
Finance definition: Current spending covers instruction, support services, and other operating functions. Census finance figures exclude capital outlay, debt service, and non-elementary-secondary programs from current spending.
Calculations: Percentages and differences were calculated from the published values. Shares are rounded to one or two decimal places, so displayed components may not reproduce unrounded results exactly.
The year 2026 identifies the page edition, not a single data period. School-system measures use 2024–25 data, while spending and revenue measures use FY2024 data. Dollar values are nominal and are not adjusted for inflation or Louisiana’s regional price level. Differences in spending, staffing, or revenue mix do not establish differences in school quality or student outcomes.