VIEW REPORT PDF.pdf

The Jefferson Parish Public School System (JPPSS) has faced four consecutive years of operating deficits, with potential revenue losses from expiring taxes and declining enrollment. The system's enrollment is steadily declining, eroding state funding, and faces demands for educational accountability. A strategic redesign plan was developed in 1998, but funding for the improvements was not addressed. The system's financial struggles continue, with a potential loss of 10% of revenue when a sales tax expires in 2002 and another potential loss when a property tax expires in 2003. Comparisons with neighboring parishes and national data show that JPPSS has the second-largest public school enrollment in the New Orleans Metropolitan Statistical Area, with 51,837 students in 1999-00. Despite having the highest per capita income in the state, JPPSS has a high proportion of students participating in the free and reduced lunch program, at 68%. The system's spending patterns are not unusual, with total per pupil spending exceeding the MSA and state averages, but spending on regular instruction programs is slightly below the state average. Teacher salaries and student-teacher ratios are roughly average compared to the MSA and state.