Enrollment
127
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Baton Rouge, LA
Helix Legal Academy
Federal NCES profile for Helix Legal Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 220054002504Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 75
📋 Attendance 96
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helix Legal Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Louisiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Louisiana.
- #6 of 15
- middle schools in Baton Rouge · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 25.4:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 82.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Helix Legal Academy has class sizes larger than 96% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helix Legal Academy ranks #6 of 15 middle schools in Baton Rouge, LA.
School address
District: East Baton Rouge Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220054002504 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.4:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+51% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.4%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helix Legal Academy compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helix Legal Academy
Helix Legal Academy is a high-poverty, small charter middle school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, enrolling 127 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.4:1 is larger than about 96% of Louisiana schools and 51% above the 16.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.4% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of Louisiana schools, with 127 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 57 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #29.
Its student body is predominantly African American (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 3/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 127 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Baton Rouge's middle schools, it stands alongside Southeast Middle School (826 students): Helix Legal Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.4:1 vs 15:1).
East Baton Rouge Parish also operates Baton Rouge Magnet High School (1,593 students) and Woodlawn High School (1,331 students) alongside Helix Legal Academy.
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 Helix Legal Academy compares
Helix Legal 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 | 25.4:1 | ▲ 51% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.4% | ▲ 32% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 127 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.4:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
127
Bigger than 12% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
25.4:1
students per teacher
- 51% above state mean
Top 96% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
1.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$15,604
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 127 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 98.4%
Hispanic or Latino 0.8%
Two or More 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 98.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.2, Helix Legal Academy is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Baton Rouge Parish, which includes Helix Legal Academy.
$15,604
Per student
-5%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 24.4%
Federal 21.4%
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 Helix Legal Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge Magnet High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodlawn High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea Bridge | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tara High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helix Legal Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,593
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,331
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,218
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,122
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 1,016
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar middle schools in Baton Rouge
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Southeast Middle School
Standard public school
826 students 15:1 students per teacher
Woodlawn Middle School
Standard public school
807 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Sherwood Middle Academic Academy
Standard public school
759 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Mckinley Middle Magnet School
Standard public school
633 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Glasgow Middle School
Standard public school
542 students 30.1:1 students per teacher
Westdale Middle School
Standard public school
538 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
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 (~127 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helix Legal Academy's federal record.
- Compare Helix Legal Academy against another school. Compare schools
- East Baton Rouge 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 Helix Legal Academy
How many students attend Helix Legal Academy?
Helix Legal Academy has 127 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Baton Rouge, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helix Legal Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Helix Legal Academy is 25.4:1, which is 51% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Helix Legal Academy?
82.4% of students at Helix Legal Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helix Legal Academy?
The largest demographic group at Helix Legal Academy is African American at 98.4% of enrollment, in Baton Rouge, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helix Legal Academy?
Helix Legal Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Helix Legal Academy rank among middle schools in Baton Rouge?
By Resource Investment Index, Helix Legal Academy ranks #6 of 15 middle schools in Baton Rouge, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Baton Rouge on the city page.
Is Helix Legal Academy a good school?
Helix Legal Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 East Baton Rouge Parish?
Besides Helix Legal Academy, East Baton Rouge Parish also operates Baton Rouge Magnet High School (1,593 students), Woodlawn High School (1,331 students), and Liberty High School (1,218 students). See the East Baton Rouge 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.