Enrollment
685
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Destrehan, LA
Harry M. Hurst Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Harry M. Hurst Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 220144001632
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harry M. Hurst Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Destrehan · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 34.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Harry M. Hurst Middle School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harry M. Hurst Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Destrehan, LA.
School address
District: St. Charles Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220144001632 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.9%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harry M. Hurst Middle School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harry M. Hurst Middle School
Harry M. Hurst Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Destrehan, Louisiana, enrolling 685 students.
At 15.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Louisiana median, within a few percentage points of the 16.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 34.9% free-meal eligibility runs 44% below the Louisiana average.
Enrollment of 685 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 163 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #37.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 343 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
10.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding St. Charles Parish spends $23,457 per pupil, 43% above the Louisiana average, a better-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
St. Charles Parish also operates Destrehan High School (1,435 students) and Hahnville High School (1,416 students) alongside Harry M. Hurst Middle 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 Harry M. Hurst Middle School compares
Harry M. Hurst Middle 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 7% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.9% | ▼ 44% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 685 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
685
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% below the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 43% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$23,457
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 343 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
66
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 59.1%
African American 21.0%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 59.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.8, Harry M. Hurst Middle School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Charles Parish, which includes Harry M. Hurst Middle School.
$23,457
Per student
+43%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
+41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 79.2%
State 13.5%
Federal 7.4%
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 Harry M. Hurst Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Destrehan High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hahnville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| J.B. Martin Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Luling Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| St. Rose Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harry M. Hurst Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,435
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,416
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 540
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar middle 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 (~685 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harry M. Hurst Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Harry M. Hurst Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- St. Charles 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 Harry M. Hurst Middle School
How many students attend Harry M. Hurst Middle School?
Harry M. Hurst Middle School has 685 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Destrehan, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harry M. Hurst Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Harry M. Hurst Middle School is 15.6:1, which is 7% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harry M. Hurst Middle School?
34.9% of students at Harry M. Hurst Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harry M. Hurst Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Harry M. Hurst Middle School is White at 59.1% of enrollment, in Destrehan, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harry M. Hurst Middle School?
Harry M. Hurst Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Harry M. Hurst Middle School rank among public schools in Destrehan?
By Resource Investment Index, Harry M. Hurst Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Destrehan, 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 Destrehan on the city page.
Is Harry M. Hurst Middle School a good school?
Harry M. Hurst Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. 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 St. Charles Parish?
Besides Harry M. Hurst Middle School, St. Charles Parish also operates Destrehan High School (1,435 students), Hahnville High School (1,416 students), and J.B. Martin Middle School (733 students). See the St. Charles 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.