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
0/100100/10034/100
👥 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

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-11 students YoY

Howard School shrank from 136 students in 2022-23 to 125 in 2023-24 (-8.1%).

Teacher FTE added 1.5 → 3.2 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-11 students YoY 220015101195 · Ruston, LA Other · SMALL · TRAD

75 enr · 75:1 · 43.4% lunch · RII 34

Nearest enrollment peer: Ivalee Elementary School (200 students)

Howard School shrank from 136 students in 2022-23 to 125 in 2023-24 (-8.1%). Teacher FTE added 1.5 → 3.2 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Louisiana schools → · Find another →

How Howard School compares

Howard School is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs 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 methodology

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.

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

Nationwide other schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

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. CCD year-over-year: 136 (2022-23) → 125 (2023-24), down 11.

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, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. 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.

What other schools are in Howard School?

None reported; Howard School operates only Howard School as a public school district in NCES's records.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.