Enrollment
75
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ruston, LA
Howard School
Federal NCES profile for Howard School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220015101195
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howard School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Louisiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Louisiana.
- #8 of 9
- public schools in Ruston · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 75:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 43.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Howard School has class sizes larger than 99% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howard School ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Ruston, LA.
School address
District: Howard School · Louisiana
NCES ID 220015101195 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
75:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+346% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.4%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howard School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howard School
Howard School is a small combined-grade school in Ruston, Louisiana, enrolling 75 students.
Class loads run heavy: 75:1 is larger than about 99% of Louisiana schools and 346% 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 43.4% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of Louisiana schools, with 75 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and White (44%) (diversity index 55/100).
10.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Howard School operates only this one school, so Howard School has no district-mates to compare against locally. At 75 students, it is also a small operation, on the smaller end of Louisiana's single-school districts.
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 Howard School compares
Howard 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 | 75:1 | ▲ 346% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.4% | ▼ 31% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 75 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
75:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
75
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
75:1
students per teacher
- 346% above state mean
Top 99% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
10.7%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 50.7%
White 44.0%
Two or More 4.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%
Largest group: African American at 50.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.8, Howard School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
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 (~75 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howard School's federal record.
- Compare Howard School against another school. Compare schools
- Howard School'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 Howard School
How many students attend Howard School?
Howard School has 75 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Ruston, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard School?
The student-teacher ratio at Howard School is 75:1, which is 346% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 378% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Howard School?
43.4% of students at Howard School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howard School?
The largest demographic group at Howard School is African American at 50.7% of enrollment, in Ruston, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard School?
Howard School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Howard School rank among public schools in Ruston?
By Resource Investment Index, Howard School ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Ruston, 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 Ruston on the city page.
Is Howard School a good school?
Howard School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Howard School?
None reported; Howard School operates only Howard School as a public school district in NCES's records.
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.