Washington Parish School Board, Superintendent Jennifer Thomas recently shared "The State of Our Schools."
She prefaced it by saying, "It's not always pretty," and was upfront about the challenges of a student count that is 80 percent in poverty and the seemingly insurmountable hurdle of moving the state assigned Grade B to an A.
But Thomas never lost the sense of hope that she has for the system and pride in "some awesome students" that she believes in as well as the district’s teachers and support personnel who show up every day to push for excellence. She also expressed her sincere thanks to the school board for working as a whole to improve the system.
Hard decisions must often be made, she noted, and without support from top to bottom true change and improvement will never be attained.
Mrs. Thomas reminded everyone that the Washington Parish School District's mission is to prepare students for success. Whether it is ultimately a job or attending college, being successful is what is most important. There are many positives in the system. With a strong foundation in education, a rich agricultural presence, and a community rooted in tradition, Washington Parish continues to be a place where families plant roots, students thrive, and the culture remains vibrant.
However, with thoughtful planning and collaboration, the school system remains committed to preserving heritage while building a brighter future for generations to come.
The recent school term marked a decrease in student population with 4,435 students attending PK through 12th grade. The system is 63 percent white, 27 percent African American, and 10 percent other such as Hispanic and Asian. The current district performance score is a B and while Thomas yearns for a graduation rate of 100 percent, it is fairly strong 83.9 percent. Thomas added that public schools accept all students, no matter what exceptionalities, and she feels some of the hardest working employees and pupils in the state are located here. She unashamedly proclaims, "I want us to be an A school district." This cannot be accomplished by Mrs. Thomas alone. There are 755 teachers and staff in the district. 25 percent hold a master's degree or higher and an increased number of 84 percent are certified teachers.
There are great things happeningin the Washington Parish system, Mrs. Thomas said. In the past two years, daily attendance rates have increased. The Career Technical Education program has added VIP classes and Interns. All four high schools operate on the same bell schedule, and this allows a certified teacher in a subject to teach at his or her home school and teach to students from the other three high schools. Thomas used Physics as an example. Now all students who want or need Physics are enrolled in the class and instead of a class with maybe ten or fewer students, a class of 25 parish-wide are receiving instruction with interns supervising at the virtual sites. This also helps students who may pursue online higher education and prepares them for the process.
Administratively, a Superintendent's Advisory Council has been created. Juniors and seniors from across the parish are providing feedback and ideas for potential improvement in a meaningful way. Parents, teachers, school staff and community members are also a vital part of the Council and ensure diverse perspectives when considering adopting initiatives.
A Strategic Plan has been reviewed and updated so that everyone is a stakeholder in the educational process. Lattes With Leadership has also been a popular meeting event and Community Connections have involved local pastors who gave insight about concerns and areas as seen through ministering the district's students.
Other areas of success include the expansion of math supports with state funded High Dosage Tutoring; intensive literacy and numeracy training; district teams conduct literacy and numeracy screens versus adding this to teacher duties; reduction in uncertified teachers through Praxis tutoring; adoption of Tier 1 Science and Social Studies Curriculums; offering internships to 12 high school students; offering VIP model courses to high school students; and earning High Proficient and Excellent ratings for PK in all schools.
Mrs. Thomas asserts that the budget is the biggest hurdle the district faces. The 2025-26 budget shows that General Fund expenditures were $54,725,252. 41 percent of this was for instructional services and 57 percent was for support services and operations. Gov. Jeff Landry's recent teacher raise mandate that pulls money from the MFP for the raises will ultimately hit Washington Parish Schools hard as the money will no longer go to instructional needs. But this hurdle is one that Thomas and administrative staff will address in ways that are positive for the system. It is notable that the system recently received Excellence in School Financial Reporting from the Louisiana Department of Education and has met the highest standards.
A huge concern is the loss of students over the past decade, but this is a statewide concern. Charter Schools, microschools and homeschools account for over 100,000 students lost to public systems in the state. In Washington Parish in the past year, 195 students moved from the district with 124 of those moving out of Louisiana. 58 went to parent-led and/or state approved homeschools. This nationwide trend is linked to a historically low birth rate in 2025, and Thomas expects numbers to continue to drop. The challenge is to offer programs and opportunities that students need and want to pursue.
The new Career and Technical Center located in the portable buildings at Franklinton Junior High School is an example of using something the system already has in a new direction. Students will have opportunities for community-based internships in Health Sciences. The Center is providing endless opportunities for students as it grows and adds new programs.
Safety and wellness of students is another high priority of the district. An Attendance Coordinator, hired with grant funds, is assisting in getting students back into the classrooms. Each campus now has a single-entry point to prevent anyone from simply walking onto a campus. Fights and discipline referrals have also decreased, and schools consistently prepare for potential safety situations by conducting drills. Another area that has been enhanced is the Alternative School. Social workers are now involved in those students' journeys and are working to assist them in returning to regular classrooms.
Moving forward, Thomas sees the cafeteria at Thomas Elementary as a high priority. Built for many fewer students, lunch is currently spread from 10:15am to 12:35 pm. Expansion is desperately needed to adjust this.
Bus routes have also been consolidated for efficiency and to save money. This was a huge undertaking, and Mrs. Thomas is appreciative of the drivers who assisted with this. Currently there is a driver shortage, and the district is leasing buses to save costs.
Other goals of the school system include increasing enrollment, evaluating positions, and exploring other financing options. These are challenges Mrs. Thomas and staff are meeting head-on. She believes in the future of Washington Parish Schools and plans to continue to impact all students and prepare them to be successful citizens.
