Enrollment
274
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · New Orleans, LA
Foundation Preparatory Academy
Federal NCES profile for Foundation Preparatory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 220032102494Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 99
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Foundation Preparatory Academy earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Louisiana schools.
- #2 of 10
- elementary schools in New Orleans · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.3:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 96.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Foundation Preparatory Academy has class sizes larger than 72% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Foundation Preparatory Academy ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in New Orleans, LA.
School address
District: Foundation Preparatory Academy · Louisiana
NCES ID 220032102494 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.5%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Foundation Preparatory Academy compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Foundation Preparatory Academy
Foundation Preparatory Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana, enrolling 274 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 96.5% of students qualify for free meals, 54% above the Louisiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 274 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 123 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #15.
Its student body is led by African American (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 274 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 0.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Foundation Preparatory Academy spends $27,211 per pupil, 66% above the Louisiana average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 42.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among New Orleans's elementary schools, it stands alongside International School of Louisiana (1,074 students): Foundation Preparatory Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.3:1 vs 12.2:1).
Foundation Preparatory Academy is a single-school charter district, so Foundation Preparatory Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Foundation Preparatory Academy compares
Foundation Preparatory Academy on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.3:1 | ▲ 9% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.5% | ▲ 54% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 274 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
274
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% above the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 72% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
0.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$27,211
per pupil, district-wide
- above Louisiana avg of $16,376
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 274 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 75.5%
Hispanic or Latino 23.4%
White 0.4%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 75.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.5, Foundation Preparatory Academy is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Foundation Preparatory Academy, which includes Foundation Preparatory Academy.
$27,211
Per student
+66%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
+64%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.6%
State 28.3%
Federal 42.1%
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.
Similar elementary schools in New Orleans
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
International School of Louisiana
Standard public school
1,074 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Arthur Ashe Charter School
Standard public school
778 students 29.9:1 students per teacher
Lake Forest Elementary Charter School
Standard public school
691 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Edward Hynes Charter School - Lakeview
Standard public school
690 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Edward Hynes Charter School - Uno
Standard public school
577 students 26.2:1 students per teacher
Mildred Osborne Charter School
Standard public school
569 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~274 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Foundation Preparatory Academy's federal record.
- Compare Foundation Preparatory Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Foundation Preparatory Academy'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 Foundation Preparatory Academy
How many students attend Foundation Preparatory Academy?
Foundation Preparatory Academy has 274 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in New Orleans, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Foundation Preparatory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Foundation Preparatory Academy is 18.3:1, which is 9% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Foundation Preparatory Academy?
96.5% of students at Foundation Preparatory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Foundation Preparatory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Foundation Preparatory Academy is African American at 75.5% of enrollment, in New Orleans, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Foundation Preparatory Academy?
Foundation Preparatory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (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 Foundation Preparatory Academy rank among elementary schools in New Orleans?
By Resource Investment Index, Foundation Preparatory Academy ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in New Orleans, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in New Orleans on the city page.
Is Foundation Preparatory Academy a good school?
Foundation Preparatory Academy earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of 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 Foundation Preparatory Academy?
None; Foundation Preparatory Academy is a single-school charter district, and Foundation Preparatory Academy is its only campus.
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.