Enrollment
56
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bunkie, LA
Central Southwest Alternative High School
Federal NCES profile for Central Southwest Alternative High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220004702462
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 89
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Southwest Alternative High School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Louisiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Louisiana.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Bunkie · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.7:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 53.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Southwest Alternative High School has class sizes larger than 76% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Southwest Alternative High School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Bunkie, LA.
School address
District: Office of Juvenile Justice · Louisiana
NCES ID 220004702462 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.3%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Southwest Alternative High School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Southwest Alternative High School
Central Southwest Alternative High School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Bunkie, Louisiana, enrolling 56 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 53.3% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of Louisiana schools, with 56 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Its student body is predominantly African American (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 56 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Bunkie's public schools, it stands alongside Bunkie Magnet High School (669 students): Central Southwest Alternative High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.7:1 vs 23.1:1).
Office of Juvenile Justice also operates Southside Alternative High School (165 students) and Riverside Alternative High School (27 students) alongside Central Southwest Alternative High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central Southwest Alternative High School compares
Central Southwest Alternative High School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.7:1 | ▲ 11% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.3% | ▼ 15% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 56 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
56
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% below the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
3.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 56 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 91.1%
White 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
Largest group: African American at 91.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.5, Central Southwest Alternative High School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
How Central Southwest Alternative High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southside Alternative High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Riverside Alternative High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central Southwest Alternative- St. Martinville | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Southwest Alternative High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 165
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 72/100
- Enrollment
- 27
- Students per teacher
- 3.9:1
- Resource Index
- 75/100
- Enrollment
- 16
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 68/100
Similar other schools in Bunkie
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~56 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Southwest Alternative High School's federal record.
- Compare Central Southwest Alternative High School against another school. Compare schools
- Office of Juvenile Justice's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Central Southwest Alternative High School
How many students attend Central Southwest Alternative High School?
Central Southwest Alternative High School has 56 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Bunkie, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Southwest Alternative High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Southwest Alternative High School is 18.7:1, which is 11% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Southwest Alternative High School?
53.3% of students at Central Southwest Alternative High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Southwest Alternative High School?
The largest demographic group at Central Southwest Alternative High School is African American at 91.1% of enrollment, in Bunkie, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Southwest Alternative High School?
Central Southwest Alternative High School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Southwest Alternative High School rank among schools in Bunkie?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Southwest Alternative High School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Bunkie, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bunkie on the city page.
Is Central Southwest Alternative High School a good school?
Central Southwest Alternative High School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Louisiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Louisiana. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Office of Juvenile Justice?
Besides Central Southwest Alternative High School, Office of Juvenile Justice also operates Southside Alternative High School (165 students), Riverside Alternative High School (27 students), and Central Southwest Alternative- St. Martinville (16 students). See the Office of Juvenile Justice district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.