LIVINGSTON PARISH STUDENTS CONTINUE TO INCREASE MASTERY PERFORMANCE ON STATE LEAP
Livingston Parish Public Schools continues to grow its percentage of students who perform Mastery & Advanced on the state’s LEAP, outpacing the state average and ranking among top-tier districts across Louisiana.
The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) recently released the 2024-2025 LEAP scores showing that Livingston Parish Schools improved its percentage of students in Grades 3-8 who receive Mastery & Advanced in all subject areas by 1.1 percent across the district, climbing to 43.5 percent overall, and notably 52 percent overall in English Language Arts (ELA). The district’s Overall Assessment Index for Grades 3-8 also grew by 0.9 points, with the largest gains coming in Math with a 2.8 index improvement.
At the same time, at the high school level, more students scored Mastery & Advanced in several subject areas. Most notably, 54 percent of high schoolers across the parish scored at the top levels in English I, and 55 percent scored at top levels in English II.
“Overall, the 2024-2025 scores reflect the high standards and high performance we expect across all grades levels and all campuses in our district,” Superintendent Jody Purvis said.
OUTSTANDING IMPROVEMENTS BOLSTER DISTRICT’S TOP 10 RANKING
Livingston Parish Schools ranks 10th overall in both Grades 3-8 and at the high school level for students scoring Mastery & Advanced, and the district continues to outpace the state average by nearly 10 percentage points, according to the LEAP 2025 report
Some of the district’s most improved schools in ELA include Springfield Elementary, which grew its Mastery & Advanced results by 9.9 percent, followed by Live Oak Middle, up 8 percent, Maurepas School, up 7.5 percent, and Levi Milton Elementary, up 6.3 percent. In the subject of math, North Live Oak Elementary grew its top scores by 11.8 percent, followed by Live Oak Elementary and Live Oak Junior High at 11.2 and 9 percent, respectively, and Springfield Elementary had an 8.9 percent improvement in Mastery & Advanced scores. Those same top growth schools scored some of the parish’s highest assessment index scores for Grades 3-8, as well.
At the high school level, eight of the district’s nine schools boasted of having more than 50 percent of their students scoring Mastery & Advanced in English I, with Live Oak, Holden and French Settlement reporting more than 60 percent of their students earning the highest scores. Similar results were reported for students taking English II, with students at French Settlement and Maurepas reporting the most improvement in the parish, achieving a 73.6 percent and 78 percent Mastery & Advanced scores, respectively.
Holden led the parish with more than 78 percent of its students scoring Mastery & Advanced in Algebra I. Doyle High closely trailed with more than 75 percent of its students scoring the at the top levels.
“I want to thank our teachers, staff, students, and community for their dedication and hard work. Because of your efforts, Livingston Parish continues to rank among the top 10 school systems in LEAP performance in the state,” Superintendent Jody Purvis said.
SIX EDUCATORS NAMED ASPIRING PRINCIPAL FELLOWS
The Louisiana Department of Education recently announced the 2025-2026 cohort of Aspiring Principal Fellows that includes six Livingston Parish educators.
Those local Aspiring Principal Fellows are:
- Angela Caccamo, EL Coordinator
- Jessica Haynes, Assistant Principal, Live Oak High School
- Dane’ Long, Elementary Curriculum Coordinator
- Erik Patterson, Assistant Principal, Livingston Oak High School
- Louis Sansovich, Assistant Principal, Denham Spring High School
- Desaree’ Strikmiller, Assistant Principal, Southside Elementary
“Congratulations to these outstanding educators who have been selected by the state to further develop their skills so as to be prepared to step into leadership roles across our district in the future,” Superintendent Jody Purvis said.
The fellowship program aims to equip aspiring school leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to confidently step into the principal role and effectively support students and teachers. Fellowship participants will engage in four immersive full-day school visits, where they will collaborate closely with exemplary practicing principals from across the state. In addition, they will attend three full-day professional learning meetings that align with current state initiatives. Each fellowship candidate will receive a $1,000 tuition payment.
PARISH-WIDE SCHOOL SUPPLY PROGRAM ANNOUNCES 25TH YEAR OF HELPING FAMILIES
Livingston Parish Assessor Jeff Taylor announced that he and local volunteers will once again provide school supplies to needy families in Livingston Parish through the ASSESS THE NEED school supply program, making this the 25th consecutive year to do so.
This year’s campaign anticipates meeting the needs of some 3,200 students in all the district’s 43 public schools, including Pre-K and Head Start programs.
“We are so thankful to our community for the continued support of this program. This year marks the 25th year of our efforts – that’s a significant milestone for this program, and a testament to our community’s love and generosity,” Taylor said.
Volunteers will be at the parish’s local Associated Grocers stores on Friday, Aug. 1, and Saturday, Aug. 2, and then again on Friday, Aug. 8, and Saturday, Aug. 9, taking donations. The participating stores include Cain’s Family Markets in Albany, Livingston and Springfield; Carter’s Supermarkets at Hatchell Lane in Denham Springs, Vincent Road in Denham Springs and Walker; Oak Point Fresh Market in Watson; Village Markets in Port Vincent, White Hall and Head of Island.
Volunteers will be at the stores from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the two Fridays, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the two Saturdays.
Donations can be given directly to volunteers at the stores or through Venmo. Links to the Assess the Need Venmo account are available in print and web ads in local newspapers, on signs across the parish, and on cards at local businesses. Donations can also be dropped off at the Livingston Parish Assessor’s Office, located on Government Boulevard in Livingston, Monday-Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or mailed to Assess the Need, P.O. Box 1802, Denham Springs, LA 70727-1802.
The supplies will be distributed to the school prior to the first day of classes, which begin Aug. 8.