Desoto Parish

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Mansfield, Louisiana - 9 schools

An equity score of 51/100 ranks Desoto Parish #86 of 175 districts in Louisiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $18,202 per pupil, Desoto Parish ranks #38 of 188 Louisiana districts by per-pupil spending (Louisiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,126
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$18,202
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Desoto Parish operates 9 public schools serving 5,126 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Louisiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 2 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in De Soto Parish.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,202 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 188 Louisiana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Louisiana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 72.4% local, 14.5% state, and 13.1% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 51/100, ranked #86 of 175 in Louisiana against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (10 AP courses district-wide), a 463.4:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 10.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 45.2% White, 44.7% African American, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Logansport High School, with a diversity index of 58.5/100.

Its largest campus is North Desoto High School, enrolling 817 students (17% of the district's total enrollment).

North Desoto High School accounts for 15.9% of all Desoto Parish student enrollment

That concentration means Desoto Parish-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Desoto Parish school enrollment varies 2.5× across entities

Desoto Parish school enrollment ranges from 327 students (lowest) to 817 students (highest), a spread of 490 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Desoto Parish has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 51.9% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Desoto Parish student-counselor ratio is 463:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Desoto Parish chronic absenteeism rate is 10.6% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

13.1%
Federal
14.5%
State
72.4%
Local

Funding Equity

51
Equity Score
86 / 175
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 9 schools in Desoto Parish.

White 45.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%
African American 44.7%
Multiracial 4.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 40.1/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Desoto Parish's schools, below the Louisiana average of 43.9.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Logansport High School 58.5
  2. 2 North Desoto High School 50.4
  3. 3 North Desoto Lower Elementary School 49.2
  4. 4 Stanley High School 48.1
  5. 5 North Desoto Upper Elementary School 48.0

Programs & Resources

3 / 9
Schools with AP
10 AP courses total
463.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
10.6%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Desoto Parish

School Enrollment
North Desoto High School
817
North Desoto Upper Elementary School
807
North Desoto Middle School 6-8
605
Logansport High School
566
Mansfield Elementary School
542
North Desoto Lower Elementary School
523
Stanley High School
405
Mansfield Middle School
331
Mansfield High School
327

How Desoto Parish Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Louisiana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Avoyelles Parish Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Washington Parish Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Central Community School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
St. John the Baptist Parish Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Natchitoches Parish Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Desoto Parish's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Louisiana

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Jefferson Parish
50,628 students · 82 schools · $16,675/pupil
Compare vs Desoto Parish →
East Baton Rouge Parish
43,253 students · 83 schools · $15,604/pupil
Compare vs Desoto Parish →
St. Tammany Parish
39,559 students · 55 schools · $14,024/pupil
Compare vs Desoto Parish →
Caddo Parish
36,147 students · 59 schools · $14,387/pupil
Compare vs Desoto Parish →
Lafayette Parish
32,377 students · 45 schools · $11,837/pupil
Compare vs Desoto Parish →

Compare Desoto Parish

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Jefferson Parish →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Desoto Parish?

Desoto Parish has 9 schools, including 2 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle, 4 combined. Total enrollment is 5,126 students.

How much does Desoto Parish spend per student?

Desoto Parish spends $18,202 per student. The district has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #86 in Louisiana.

What is the demographic composition of Desoto Parish?

Desoto Parish students are 45.2% White, 44.7% African American, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Desoto Parish?

Desoto Parish has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #86 out of 175 districts in Louisiana.