Ouachita 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.

Monroe, Louisiana - 36 schools

An equity score of 34/100 ranks Ouachita Parish #140 of 175 districts in Louisiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,772 per pupil, Ouachita Parish ranks #155 of 188 Louisiana districts by per-pupil spending (Louisiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

19,136
Total Enrollment
36
Schools
$12,772
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Ouachita Parish operates 36 public schools serving 19,136 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Louisiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 22 combined, 9 middle, 4 elementary, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage 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 Ouachita Parish.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,772 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 188 Louisiana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Louisiana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 38.3% local, 45.6% state, and 16.1% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 34/100, ranked #140 of 175 in Louisiana against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 36 schools offering Advanced Placement (23 AP courses district-wide), a 365.2:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 12.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 51.1% White, 39.4% African American, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Riser Elementary School, with a diversity index of 67.9/100.

Its largest campus is West Monroe High School, enrolling 2,041 students (12% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Pinecrest Elementary/Middle School, at 167 students, a 12x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Ouachita Parish school enrollment varies 12× across entities

Ouachita Parish school enrollment ranges from 167 students (lowest) to 2,041 students (highest), a spread of 1,874 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Ouachita Parish has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 57.8% 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

Ouachita Parish student-counselor ratio is 365:1 — 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

Ouachita Parish chronic absenteeism rate is 12.5% — 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?

16.1%
Federal
45.6%
State
38.3%
Local

Funding Equity

34
Equity Score
140 / 175
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 36 schools in Ouachita Parish.

White 51.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
African American 39.4%
Asian 1.1%
Multiracial 3.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 34.8/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Riser Elementary School 67.9
  2. 2 Lenwil Elementary School 64.3
  3. 3 Crosley Elementary School 62.1
  4. 4 Boley Elementary School 62.0
  5. 5 Riser Middle School 61.9

Programs & Resources

3 / 36
Schools with AP
23 AP courses total
365.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
12.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Ouachita Parish

School Enrollment
West Monroe High School
2,041
Ouachita Parish High School
1,112
West Ouachita High School
968
Sterlington Elementary School
800
West Ridge Middle School
681
Claiborne School
643
Good Hope Middle School
601
Drew Elementary School
537
Lakeshore School
532
Sterlington High School
513
Woodlawn Elementary School
508
Jack Hayes Elementary School
501
East Ouachita Middle School
498
Kiroli Elementary School
450
Central Elementary School
430
George Welch Elementary School
429
Calhoun Middle School
423
Calhoun Elementary School
420
Sterlington Middle School
418
Riser Middle School
410
Richwood High School
400
Robinson Elementary School
374
Swartz Upper Elementary School
350
Richwood Junior High School
347
Swartz Lower Elementary School
325
Riser Elementary School
313
Ouachita Junior High School
312
Riverbend Elementary School
301
Boley Elementary School
279
Lenwil Elementary School
277
Highland Elementary School
263
Woodlawn Middle School
249
Shady Grove Elementary School
195
Crosley Elementary School
193
Swayze Elementary School
175
Pinecrest Elementary/Middle School
167

How Ouachita Parish Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Louisiana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Tangipahoa Parish Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Terrebonne Parish Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Rapides Parish Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Bossier Parish Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Lafourche Parish Smaller Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Ouachita 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 Ouachita Parish →
East Baton Rouge Parish
43,253 students · 83 schools · $15,604/pupil
Compare vs Ouachita Parish →
St. Tammany Parish
39,559 students · 55 schools · $14,024/pupil
Compare vs Ouachita Parish →
Caddo Parish
36,147 students · 59 schools · $14,387/pupil
Compare vs Ouachita Parish →
Lafayette Parish
32,377 students · 45 schools · $11,837/pupil
Compare vs Ouachita Parish →

Compare Ouachita 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 Ouachita Parish?

Ouachita Parish has 36 schools, including 22 combined, 9 middle, 1 high, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 19,136 students.

How much does Ouachita Parish spend per student?

Ouachita Parish spends $12,772 per student. The district has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #140 in Louisiana.

What is the demographic composition of Ouachita Parish?

Ouachita Parish students are 51.1% White, 39.4% African American, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% Asian, averaged across 36 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Ouachita Parish?

Ouachita Parish has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #140 out of 175 districts in Louisiana.