Frederick Douglass Community School

As a tiny middle school in Gretna, Louisiana, Frederick Douglass Community School educates 40 students from grades 3 through 8, run under Jefferson Parish. Compared to the state average of about 440 students per school, that is 91% smaller than typical.

Within Jefferson Parish, which oversees 74 schools and 46,790 students, Frederick Douglass Community School is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Frederick Douglass Community School records that Black students make up the majority at 73%. The remainder is composed of 15% White, 10% Hispanic, 3% Asian. That is noticeably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 26%.

On the income-and-resources front, Frederick Douglass Community School lists 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 3.0:1. The state averages around 41.0:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 88% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is noticeably above Jefferson Parish's rate of about 68%.

Across the wider county, census data for Jefferson Parish shows median household income runs about $65,252, about 31% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Jefferson Parish runs 86 public schools (combined enrollment of about 47,983 students), of which Frederick Douglass Community School is one.

The closest other public school is Ruppel Academie Francaise, roughly 0.4 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a bedroom-community site.

Looking at the recent track record. Frederick Douglass Community School's enrollment has declined 5% since 2018, when it stood at 42 (now 40). Over the same period, the Hispanic share grew from 2% to 10%. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 5.3:1 in 2018 to 3.0:1 today.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.