WALLACE — Norman Marmillion said the night actually started off low key but built to something special before it was all over.

Marmillion, a West St. John Stakeholders member, served Tuesday night as emcee of a community celebration praising West St. John High School for the success its students are regularly generating.

“At first, we started off slow,” Marmillion said. “Then people started realizing what a big deal this was. You could feel something happening. When we started to introduce the teachers individually, well people started getting rowdy. It was really fun. It was a real lively event. I enjoyed it very much.”

The high school’s students, faculty and staff were honored for their recent recognition by Newsweek as fifth in the nation on its “Beating the Odds 2015” list. The list ranked schools’ success at preparing students for college based on performance while taking into account student poverty rates.

Newsweek ranked West St. John High School fifth out of 500 schools. Academic leaders attribute the school’s success preparing students for college to several factors, including direct instruction, small student-to-teacher ratios, data-driven instruction and dual enrollment and career technical classes.

The school’s student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1.

Marmillion said it was obvious the teachers felt good about the ceremony Tuesday night.

He attributed the school’s success to generations of West Bank families who have worked hard to provide better opportunities to younger generations.

“A lot of effort over many years made this happen,” Marmillion said. “So many of the people who went to the (celebration Tuesday) had gone to the Second Ward school when there was no high school on the West Bank. They have the attitude that this has to work for their kids and grandkids, because they didn’t have that chance.”

Marmillion said this week’s celebration demonstrated at their core, families of the West Bank are unique for the roots they have established.

“Those united families are still there, and they have a pride that doesn’t exist in towns where people come in and out,” he said. “There is a very stable set of communities in Lucy, Edgard and Wallace. This is a place with people staying, and that has impact when you get down to the education system.”

‘They Soar’

Nora Pierre is a former supervising principal in the St. John the Baptist Parish School System and a Wallace native.

The veteran educator said the biggest accomplishment of West St. John faculty members and students is calling attention to the fact students from lower income high schools can do as well as or better than their peers from the nation’s top schools.

“A lot of these students who graduate from low-income schools, they soar and they continue to soar when they get into college,” Pierre said. “The work ethic is already in them. (West St. John students) are reared with the expectation of doing well. The expectation is for them to do their best.”

Pierre credited Whitney Plantation owner John Cummings, who hosted Tuesday night’s event, for putting on a wonderful celebration that had attendees “just wanting to enjoy the moment.”

Pierre said everyone enjoyed a rib-eye steak and wonderful live music.

Cummings said the plantation, located on Louisiana 18 in Wallace, is dedicated to the African American community.

“It is important that we all realize what we did and didn’t do when those Africans were first brought to our shores,” Cummings said. “As we realize that, we realize we can’t rewrite history. However, we can correct some of the wrongs of history. Our most powerful tool to do that is education.

“Education is the most important tool to change so many unfortunate experiences that we have in America. We have been in a situation where the African America population has been underserved in education for so long and in many cases, simply dismissed.”

Cummings said West St. John community members have gotten behind their school and it’s stunning to see a community so solidly behind the concept of educating everyone.

Commitment

State Rep. Randall Gaines, D-LaPlace, said West St. John’s Newsweek ranking of fifth is remarkable and a testament to the support of the community.

“I’ve said this on a number of occasions, the West St. John community has demonstrated one of the highest levels of commitment to its community, its school system and its children,” Gaines said. “They have a high level of love and unity.

“The West Bank has always maintained a serious commitment to education. I’ve noticed that growing up in the River Parishes. They are an example for the rest of the state.”