KEY TAKEAWAYS: St. Charles Parish will offer universal Pre-K-4 for the first time and expand Pre-K 3 opportunities in 2026-27. St. James Parish is adding American Sign Language as a new elective and expanding career and college pathways. Both districts are growing career-connected learning, in cluding internships, logistics training, aviation and workforce simulation programs. Schools are investing in new facilities and upgrades, including gyms, security improvements, media studios and student-run business spaces.   River Parish school districts are expanding student opportunities with new programs, stronger career-connected learning and, in St. Charles Parish for the first time, universal Pre-K-4 for young learners. The 2026-27 school year will see the implementation, guaranteeing every four-year-old in the parish access to a seat at their neighborhood school. Additionally, both of St. Charles Parish School’s early learning centers, Carver Early Learning Center in Hahnville and East Bank Head Start Center in Destrehan will expand Pre-K 3 opportunities for three-year-old learners. The 2025–26 school year was a continued academic success for 15 schools and five centers in St. Charles Parish, which has seen four consecutive years of improvement. The district overall got an “A” performance score by the state. The district ranks fourth statewide for K–3 literacy outcomes and third in the state in gains among economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities. St. James High School spring 2026 graduates. The district’s structured literacy work has even attracted international attention, including a visit from Louisiana Department of Education leaders and an education delegation from Northern Ireland, along with that country’s Minister of Education, who observed practices at Norco Elementary School during the most recent school year. Individual recognition in the most recent school year includes St. Louis Academy Head Start teacher Jillian Graves being named a finalist for Louisiana’s Early Childhood Teacher and Leader of the Year by the Louisiana Department of Education. The district hosted its inaugural Superintendent‘s ACT Breakfast Club, recognizing 32 students who scored 27 or higher on the ACT. Staff recruitment and retention efforts also remain a priority, supported by competitive compensation and benefits packages, including a $750 signing stipend for new St. Charles Parish School employees joining for the 2026–2027 school year. Career and technical education continues to expand through the Satellite Center, a regional hub for workforce training. The center is adding a new Logistics course in 2026–2027 and a new miniature processing unit supported by industry partners and donated equipment. It will also allow students to run simulated start-ups using DeltaV control systems aligned with local industry jobs. St. Charles Parish Public Schools earned a fourth consecutive “A” district performance rating. These programs join Aviation and the PAES Lab program, both introduced in 2025–2026. The PAES Lab provides simulated workplace experiences for students with disabilities, building both technical and employability skills. The district also maintains a coordinated approach to attendance through a parish-wide coalition involving judges, law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, nonprofits and student support services. This collaborative system has helped St. Charles Parish maintain one of the lowest chronic absenteeism rates among traditional school systems in Louisiana. In St. James Parish, the 2026-27 school year will introduce a new foreign language elective for students: American Sign Language, a fully immersive experience on the Career and College Center campus. The sign language program was developed directly from student input through the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council and reflects the district’s growing number of career and college pathways already available to high school students. One of the most established programs is the St. James Parish Student Intern Program, which facilitates paid internships locally. During the 2025–2026 school year, 91 seniors participated in paid internships. “As our community partnerships grow, we continue to add internship opportunities,” said Sarah Forsythe, public information manager for St. James Parish Schools. “Our program has become quite selective and more competitive among seniors.” The Career and College Center recently welcomed new leadership under Meeka Dennis who will oversee more student opportunities. Other specialized academic programs in St. James Parish are the Visual and Performing Arts Magnet Program, Cypress Grove Montessori Academy and St. Louis Reading and Math Academy. Expansions and program additions St. Charles Parish launched its first-ever girls’ flag football program in partnership with the New Orleans Saints and The Louisiana High School Athletic Association in the past school year with Destrehan High School advancing to the state semifinals. For the 2026-2027 school year, the district will move forward with constructions on the addition of auxiliary gyms at elementary and middle school campuses and security system upgrades. Over in St. James Parish, the St. James High School broadcast media studio is nearing completion and will soon be used by students for digital media creation. Construction will soon begin on the Lutcher High School Bulldog Graphics storefront, where students taking print design media arts classes will work to create and sell print merchandise. Other construction projects include the tennis courts at St. James High School, the gym at Sixth Ward Elementary School and window replacements at St. Louis Academy. ...read more read less