East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Louisiana, elections
| East Baton Rouge Parish School System |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 9 |
| Students: 42,590 (2023-2024) |
| Schools: 83 (2023-2024) |
| Website: Link |
East Baton Rouge Parish School System is a school district in Louisiana (East Baton Rouge Parish). During the 2024 school year, 42,590 students attended one of the district's 83 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 8
General election
Reason canceled : Candidate(s) won outright in earlier election stage
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 1
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 2
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 3
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 4
General election
General election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 4
Shashonnie Steward defeated Monique Wicks Robinson in the general election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 4 on December 10, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Shashonnie Steward (D) | 71.0 | 3,144 | |
| Monique Wicks Robinson (D) | 29.0 | 1,283 | ||
| Total votes: 4,427 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 5
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 6
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 7
General election
General election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 7
Incumbent Michael Gaudet defeated Cathy Carmichael in the general election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 7 on December 10, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Michael Gaudet (R) | 51.4 | 2,344 | |
 | Cathy Carmichael (D) | 48.6 | 2,220 | |
| Total votes: 4,564 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 8
General election
General election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 8
Katie Kennison defeated incumbent Connie Bernard in the general election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 8 on December 10, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Katie Kennison (D) | 52.7 | 3,935 | |
 | Connie Bernard (R) | 47.3 | 3,530 | |
| Total votes: 7,465 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 9
General election
General election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 9
Patrick Martin defeated Pamela Taylor Johnson in the general election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 9 on December 10, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Patrick Martin (R) | 69.0 | 3,991 | |
| Pamela Taylor Johnson (D) | 31.0 | 1,791 | ||
| Total votes: 5,782 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 1
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 2
General election
General election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 2
Dadrius Lanus defeated incumbent Vereta Lee in the general election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 2 on December 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Dadrius Lanus (D) | 61.0 | 3,616 | |
 | Vereta Lee (D) | 39.0 | 2,313 | |
| Total votes: 5,929 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 3
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 4
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 5
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 6
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 7
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 8
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 9
General election
East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 7
General election
General election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 7
Incumbent Michael Gaudet won election in the general election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 7 on October 14, 2017.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Michael Gaudet (R) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 4
General election
General election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 4
Incumbent Dawn Chanet Collins won election in the general election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 4 on March 5, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Dawn Chanet Collins (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 2
General election
General election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 2
Incumbent Vereta Lee won election in the general election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 2 on November 4, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Vereta Lee (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 3
General election
General election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 3
Incumbent Kenyetta Nelson-Smith won election in the general election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 3 on September 5, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Kenyetta Nelson-Smith (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 6
General election
General election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 6
Incumbent Jill Dyason won election in the general election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 6 on September 9, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Jill Dyason (R) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 9
General election
General election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 9
Incumbent David Tatman won election in the general election for East Baton Rouge Parish School System, District 9 on August 22, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | David Tatman (R) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Recall elections
- See also: States that allow school board recalls
Recall procedures
| State | Specific grounds required? | Signature requirement | Petition circulation time | When recalls can start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | No | 20% to 40% (depending on number of electors in jurisdiction) | 90 to 180 days (depending on number of electors in jurisdiction) | Recalls cannot start in the last six months of an officer's term |
Recall efforts
2024
An effort to recall five of the nine members of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System school board in Louisiana did not go to a vote. The effort began in July 2024. District 1 representative Mark Bellue (R), District 6 representative Nathan Rust (R), District 7 representative Michael Gaudet (R), District 8 representative Emily Soulé (R), and District 9 representative Patrick Martin (R) were named in the recall petitions.[1][2]
The recall effort started after board members did not choose a new superintendent for the district during a meeting on July 11, 2024.[3] The two finalists for the position both withdrew their nominations the following week.[4] Interim Superintendent Adam Smith's contract was scheduled to end on July 23, 2024, due to a state law that required interim superintendents serve no more than six months.[1][5] The board named LaMont Cole the district's new superintendent and approved his contract with a 7-0 vote on August 1, 2024.[6]
Bellue assumed office in 2015 and was re-elected to a four-year term on the board in 2022. Gaudet assumed office in 2017 and won re-election in the same 2022 election. Rust and Martin were first elected to the board in the 2022 election, and Soulé won election to the board in a special election on March 23, 2024.
About the district
School board
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System consists of nine members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cliff Lewis | District 5 | 2023 | 2027 |
| Patrick Martin | District 9 | 2023 | 2027 |
| Carla Powell | District 3 | 2023 | 2027 |
| Nathan Rust | District 6 | 2023 | 2027 |
| Shashonnie Steward | District 4 | 2023 | 2027 |
| Dadrius Lanus | District 2 | 2019 | 2027 |
| Michael Gaudet | District 7 | 2017 | 2027 |
| Mark Bellue | District 1 | 2015 | 2027 |
| Emily Soulé | District 8 | 2024 | 2026 |
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District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[7]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $175,653,000 | $4,280 | 21% |
| Local: | $443,897,000 | $10,815 | 54% |
| State: | $199,713,000 | $4,866 | 24% |
| Total: | $819,263,000 | $19,961 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $728,794,000 | $17,756 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $640,448,000 | $15,604 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $318,519,000 | $7,760 | 44% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $100,805,000 | $2,456 | 14% |
| Administration: | $81,709,000 | $1,990 | 11% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $139,415,000 | $3,396 | 19% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $41,201,000 | $1,003 | |
| Construction: | $21,324,000 | $519 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $655,000 | $15 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $1,617,000 | $39 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[8]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 22 | 69 | 15 | 18 | 40-49 | 35-39 | 55 |
| 2018-2019 | 58 | 91 | 54 | 45 | 70-79 | 70-74 | 84 |
| 2017-2018 | 55 | 89 | 51 | 46 | 40-59 | 70-74 | 82 |
| 2016-2017 | 55 | 88 | 51 | 45 | 60-79 | 70-74 | 80 |
| 2015-2016 | 58 | 89 | 53 | 53 | >=80 | 70-74 | 81 |
| 2014-2015 | 53 | 88 | 49 | 53 | 60-79 | 70-74 | 78 |
| 2013-2014 | 62 | 90 | 58 | 62 | 60-79 | 80-84 | 84 |
| 2012-2013 | 65 | 92 | 61 | 65 | 40-59 | 80-84 | 84 |
| 2011-2012 | 66 | 91 | 61 | 65 | 60-79 | 80-84 | 88 |
| 2010-2011 | 59 | 89 | 54 | 64 | 60-79 | 80-84 | 84 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 34 | 75 | 28 | 25 | 40-49 | 45-49 | 68 |
| 2018-2019 | 65 | 88 | 63 | 48 | 70-79 | 80-84 | 87 |
| 2017-2018 | 64 | 86 | 61 | 48 | 70-79 | 80-84 | 86 |
| 2016-2017 | 61 | 85 | 58 | 47 | 60-79 | 75-79 | 85 |
| 2015-2016 | 65 | 86 | 62 | 57 | 60-79 | 75-79 | 85 |
| 2014-2015 | 64 | 84 | 60 | 60 | >=80 | 80-84 | 86 |
| 2013-2014 | 62 | 87 | 58 | 59 | 60-79 | 75-79 | 86 |
| 2012-2013 | 67 | 88 | 64 | 64 | 60-79 | 75-79 | 87 |
| 2011-2012 | 64 | 85 | 60 | 61 | 60-79 | 80-84 | 86 |
| 2010-2011 | 59 | 83 | 55 | 57 | 60-79 | 75-79 | 82 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 75 | >=95 | 75 | 55-59 | PS | 60-79 | 80 |
| 2018-2019 | 69 | 90-94 | 69 | 40-44 | PS | >=80 | 77 |
| 2017-2018 | 72 | 90-94 | 72 | 45-49 | PS | 60-79 | 78 |
| 2016-2017 | 67 | 80-84 | 67 | 40-44 | PS | >=50 | 73 |
| 2015-2016 | 68 | 90-94 | 66 | 50-54 | PS | >=50 | 75-79 |
| 2014-2015 | 67 | 85-89 | 65 | 50-54 | PS | >=80 | 79 |
| 2013-2014 | 66 | 90-94 | 64 | 60-64 | PS | >=80 | 72 |
| 2012-2013 | 69 | 90-94 | 66 | 60-64 | PS | >=50 | 76 |
| 2011-2012 | 66 | 85-89 | 63 | 50-54 | PS | >=50 | 76 |
| 2010-2011 | 63 | 80-84 | 61 | 55-59 | PS | >=50 | 75 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[9]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 42,590 | -1.6 |
| 2022-2023 | 43,253 | 5.1 |
| 2021-2022 | 41,043 | 1.9 |
| 2020-2021 | 40,283 | -2.5 |
| 2019-2020 | 41,291 | 1.5 |
| 2018-2019 | 40,668 | 0.9 |
| 2017-2018 | 40,285 | -0.7 |
| 2016-2017 | 40,579 | -2.6 |
| 2015-2016 | 41,617 | -0.6 |
| 2014-2015 | 41,850 | -0.2 |
| 2013-2014 | 41,937 | -2.5 |
| 2012-2013 | 42,982 | 0.3 |
| 2011-2012 | 42,854 | 0.3 |
| 2010-2011 | 42,723 | 1.0 |
| 2009-2010 | 42,307 | -3.7 |
| 2008-2009 | 43,869 | -4.2 |
| 2007-2008 | 45,714 | -7.6 |
| 2006-2007 | 49,197 | -1.5 |
| 2005-2006 | 49,945 | 7.1 |
| 2004-2005 | 46,408 | -0.5 |
| 2003-2004 | 46,644 | -12.4 |
| 2002-2003 | 52,434 | 0.2 |
| 2001-2002 | 52,350 | -3.6 |
| 2000-2001 | 54,246 | -2.6 |
| 1999-2000 | 55,652 | 0.0 |
| RACE | East Baton Rouge Parish School System (%) | Louisiana K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.7 | 1.6 |
| Black | 68.1 | 41.4 |
| Hispanic | 15.1 | 11.3 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 1.5 | 3.7 |
| White | 11.3 | 41.3 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[10]
As of the 2023-2024 school year, East Baton Rouge Parish School System had 2,811.74 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 15.15.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 69.61 |
| Kindergarten: | 106.93 |
| Elementary: | 1,344.82 |
| Secondary: | 758.35 |
| Total: | 2,811.74 |
East Baton Rouge Parish School System employed 0.00 district administrators and 188.81 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 0.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 26.68 |
| School Administrators: | 188.81 |
| School Administrative Support: | 192.95 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 573.91 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 117.41 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 152.79 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 61.47 |
| Library/Media Support: | 4.76 |
| Student Support Services: | 105.24 |
| Other Support Services: | 466.32 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[11]
School board meetings
The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.
About school boards
Education legislation in Louisiana
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Louisiana |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 WBZR 2, "Petitions filed to remove five EBR School Board members following stagnant superintendent vote," July 12, 2024
- ↑ East Baton Rouge Parish School System, "Our School Board," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ WBRZ 2, "East Baton Rouge School Board adjourns with no vote on superintendent, new vote next Thursday," July 11, 2024
- ↑ WBRZ 2, "And then there were none: Last finalist ends quest to be EBR schools superintendent. What now?" July 18, 2024
- ↑ The Advocate, "Baton Rouge school leader changes: Out with Sito Narcisse, in with Adam Smith ... for now," January 23, 2024
- ↑ The Advocate, "LaMont Cole gets a $285K salary as top Baton Rouge schools leader. See his pay incentives." August 1, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
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