Enrollment
1,163
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ponchatoula, LA
Champ Cooper Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Champ Cooper Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220168001299
👥 S:T ratio 7
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Champ Cooper Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Louisiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Louisiana.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in Ponchatoula · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.3:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 50.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Champ Cooper Elementary School has class sizes larger than 94% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Champ Cooper Elementary School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Ponchatoula, LA.
School address
District: Tangipahoa Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220168001299 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.3:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.5%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Champ Cooper Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Champ Cooper Elementary School
Champ Cooper Elementary School is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, enrolling 1,163 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.3:1 is larger than about 94% of Louisiana schools and 39% above the 16.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 50.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Louisiana, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,163 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Among 121 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #96, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (32%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1163 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Tangipahoa Parish spends $12,458 per pupil, 24% below the Louisiana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 20.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Ponchatoula's public schools, it stands alongside Perrin Early Learning Center (338 students): Champ Cooper Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.3:1 vs 16.9:1).
Tangipahoa Parish also operates Ponchatoula High School (2,067 students) and Hammond High Magnet School (1,606 students) alongside Champ Cooper Elementary 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 Champ Cooper Elementary School compares
Champ Cooper Elementary 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 | 23.3:1 | ▲ 39% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.5% | ▼ 19% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,163 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.3:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,163
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
23.3:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 94% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,458
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 1163 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
86
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.0 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
White 52.1%
African American 31.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 52.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Champ Cooper Elementary School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tangipahoa Parish, which includes Champ Cooper Elementary School.
$12,458
Per student
-24%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.2%
State 40.7%
Federal 20.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Champ Cooper Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ponchatoula High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hammond High Magnet School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hammond Eastside Magnet | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hammond Westside Montessori | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Loranger Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Champ Cooper Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,067
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,606
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,340
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,022
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 800
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Ponchatoula
1 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 (~1,163 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Champ Cooper Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Champ Cooper Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Tangipahoa Parish'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 Champ Cooper Elementary School
How many students attend Champ Cooper Elementary School?
Champ Cooper Elementary School has 1,163 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ponchatoula, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Champ Cooper Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Champ Cooper Elementary School is 23.3:1, which is 39% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 48% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Champ Cooper Elementary School?
50.5% of students at Champ Cooper Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Champ Cooper Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Champ Cooper Elementary School is White at 52.1% of enrollment, in Ponchatoula, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Champ Cooper Elementary School?
Champ Cooper Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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 Champ Cooper Elementary School rank among public schools in Ponchatoula?
By Resource Investment Index, Champ Cooper Elementary School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Ponchatoula, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ponchatoula on the city page.
Is Champ Cooper Elementary School a good school?
Champ Cooper Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Louisiana schools. It is also one of the largest 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 Tangipahoa Parish?
Besides Champ Cooper Elementary School, Tangipahoa Parish also operates Ponchatoula High School (2,067 students), Hammond High Magnet School (1,606 students), and Hammond Eastside Magnet (1,340 students). See the Tangipahoa Parish 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.