Education and Academics

Education is a major component in quality of life anywhere. In Shreveport-Bossier, academic emphasis is on creating an educated workforce for the future. In addition to public school systems in Bossier and Caddo parishes, several private schools offer alternative schooling. For higher education options, five four-year universities offer more than 68 graduate degree programs, and four two-year colleges give technical training.

Both Caddo and Bossier parishes were awarded the 2008 What Parents Want to Know Award from SchoolMatch, the largest school selection consulting firm in the nation.

Both parishes are ranked in the top 10 school districts in the state.

PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Shreveport-Bossier offers a wide selection of public elementary and secondary educational facilities which are consistently ranked in the top 50 of school districts in the nation. Source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Education, and Louisiana Dept. of Education

The Bossier School District consists of 34 public schools with about 19,300 students, and the Caddo Parish School District has 74 schools with about 43,000 students.

The State of Louisiana prohibits more than 26 students per classroom for grades K-3 and 33 students per classroom for grades four and up. With many educators believing that teacher-student ratios are an important part of a quality education, Louisiana strives to provide that for its residents.

REGISTRATION
Bossier Parish
http://www.bossierschools.org
The school year runs from mid-August to the end of May, with a two-week Christmas holiday break and a one-week Easter holiday break. Bossier Parish Public schools require the following to register a child in their district:
• Proof of residence (current utility bill or copy of lease)
• Birth certificate
• Social Security card
• Louisiana immunization record
Children must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 30 to be eligible to enroll in kindergarten. Registration packets are available at the school sites.

Caddo Parish Public Schools
http://www.caddo.k12.org.la.us
Like Bossier Parish schools, Caddo Parish schools run from mid-August to the end of May. District requirements for registration are similar to Bossier Parish, with information on individual schools and their programs available on the school district website.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Many parents enjoy the option of providing a private school education for their children. With more than 21 accredited private schools in the Shreveport-Bossier City area—religious, independent or Montessori—parents have a variety of choices in meeting the educational needs of their children. Shreveport has nine private schools that run from pre-K to grade eight, and two private schools that operate from pre-K to grade 12. There are schools that offer specialized learning atmospheres for children with disabilities, as well as a residential living program for troubled teen girls.

UNIVERSITIES/HIGHER EDUCATION
In addition to local schools and universities, Barksdale Air Force Base runs a Transition Assistance Program that helps retiring airmen transition their skills from the military into the civilian workforce. Barksdale also maintains campuses for two higher education institutions with a technical focus.

Shreveport is home to Louisiana State University-Shreveport, the only public four-year university in the Shreveport-Bossier area. Four main colleges offer degree programs at LSU: the College of Business Administration, the College of Education & Human Development, the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Sciences. LSU offers undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees and a variety of specialized degrees in different fields.

Centenary College of Louisiana is a privately operated four-year college in Shreveport. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, it offers degrees in natural sciences, social sciences, visual and performing arts, and humanities. Students have 43 different majors to choose from in the arts and sciences, as well as pre-med and pre-law programs.

Louisiana State University School of Medicine-Shreveport includes Schools of Medicine, Allied Health Professions and Graduate Studies, and three acute care hospitals.

Embry-Riddle Worldwide Aeronautical University on Barksdale AFB offers associate, bachelor's and master's degrees in aviation-related and management fields.

Louisiana Tech University on Barksdale AFB offers associate, bachelor's and master's degrees in several fields.

One of the fastest growing two-year colleges in the country, Southern University at Shreveport is part of the historically black Southern University system and offers associate degrees in a number of health, technical, business and humanities fields.

Bossier Parish Community College is a two-year community college with approximately 6,500 students enrolled each semester. Academic programs of study include associate degrees, certificate/technical diplomas and technical competency areas. In addition, BPCC provides courses that transfer to four-year degree-granting institutions.

BPCC offers the only two-year program for theatre students in the entire state.

Northwest Louisiana Technical College, part of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, offers training toward associate degrees, technical competency areas and certificate/technical diplomas in several areas, including culinary arts, automotive technology, electrician, graphic communications and other fields.

Northwestern State University Nursing Center at Shreveport is a specialized nursing campus connected to the main NSU campus in Natchitoches, about 70 miles south of Shreveport. It is a part of the University of Louisiana system.

Several excellent technical and vocational schools exist in the Shreveport-Bossier area offering certificates in a wide range of career choices from computer software and repair to criminal justice, cosmetology and massage.  read more...

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