Enrollment
576
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Alexandria, LA
Cherokee Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cherokee Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220129001048
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cherokee Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana schools.
- #11 of 19
- schools in Alexandria · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18:1
- students per teacher
- 80.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cherokee Elementary School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Elementary School ranks #11 of 19 schools in Alexandria, LA.
School address
District: Rapides Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220129001048 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.3%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cherokee Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cherokee Elementary School
Cherokee Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Alexandria, Louisiana, enrolling 576 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 576 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 271 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #61.
Its student body is led by African American (48%) and White (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Alexandria's public schools, it stands alongside J.B. Nachman Elementary School (546 students): Cherokee Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 18.8:1).
Rapides Parish also operates Alexandria Senior High School (1,475 students) and Pineville High School (1,271 students) alongside Cherokee 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 Cherokee Elementary School compares
Cherokee 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 7% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.3% | ▲ 28% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 576 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
576
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% above the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 69% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,896
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 47.6%
White 26.2%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%
Two or More 6.8%
Asian 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 47.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.6, Cherokee 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 Rapides Parish, which includes Cherokee Elementary School.
$13,896
Per student
-15%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 43.2%
Federal 17.9%
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 Cherokee Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pineville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Peabody Magnet High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J.I. Barron Sr. Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buckeye High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cherokee Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,475
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,271
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,071
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 924
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 915
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Alexandria
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
J.B. Nachman Elementary School
Standard public school
546 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Mabel Brasher Montessori
Standard public school
508 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Peabody Montessori Elementary School
Standard public school
466 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
D.F. Huddle Elementary
Standard public school
412 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Rosenthal Montessori Elementary School
Standard public school
366 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
L.S. Rugg Elementary School
Standard public school
356 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
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 (~576 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cherokee Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cherokee Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Rapides 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 Cherokee Elementary School
How many students attend Cherokee Elementary School?
Cherokee Elementary School has 576 students enrolled. It is a public school in Alexandria, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Elementary School is 18:1, which is 7% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cherokee Elementary School?
80.3% of students at Cherokee Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cherokee Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cherokee Elementary School is African American at 47.6% of enrollment, in Alexandria, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cherokee Elementary School?
Cherokee Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cherokee Elementary School rank among schools in Alexandria?
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Elementary School ranks #11 of 19 schools in Alexandria, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Alexandria on the city page.
Is Cherokee Elementary School a good school?
Cherokee Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana schools. 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 Rapides Parish?
Besides Cherokee Elementary School, Rapides Parish also operates Alexandria Senior High School (1,475 students), Pineville High School (1,271 students), and Peabody Magnet High School (1,071 students). See the Rapides 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.