Enrollment
490
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, LA
Independence High Magnet
Federal NCES profile for Independence High Magnet, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220168001307
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence High Magnet earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of Louisiana schools.
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 76.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 490
- students enrolled
Independence High Magnet has class sizes smaller than 74% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Tangipahoa Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220168001307 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.0%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence High Magnet compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence High Magnet
Independence High Magnet is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Independence, Louisiana, enrolling 490 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14:1 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 490 students, its enrollment sits close to the Louisiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,330 Louisiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 359 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #316, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (54%) and White (21%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 490 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Tangipahoa Parish spends $12,458 per pupil, 24% below the Louisiana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 20.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 167 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 490 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Independence's public schools, it stands alongside Independence Leadership Academy (548 students): Independence High Magnet is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 16.6:1).
Tangipahoa Parish also operates Ponchatoula High School (2,067 students) and Hammond High Magnet School (1,606 students) alongside Independence High Magnet.
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 Independence High Magnet compares
Independence High Magnet on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▼ 17% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.0% | ▲ 22% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 490 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
490
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 26% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
59.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,458
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 490 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
101
in-school suspensions + 66 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 34.1 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 54.1%
White 21.4%
Hispanic or Latino 21.2%
Two or More 2.7%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 54.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.6, Independence High Magnet is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tangipahoa Parish, which includes Independence High Magnet.
$12,458
Per student
-24%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.2%
State 40.7%
Federal 20.1%
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.
How Independence High Magnet Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ponchatoula High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hammond High Magnet School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hammond Eastside Magnet | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Champ Cooper Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hammond Westside Montessori | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Independence High Magnet's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,067
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,606
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,340
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,163
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,022
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other schools in Independence
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~490 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence High Magnet's federal record.
- Compare Independence High Magnet against another school. Compare schools
- Tangipahoa 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 Independence High Magnet
How many students attend Independence High Magnet?
Independence High Magnet has 490 students enrolled. It is a public school in Independence, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence High Magnet?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence High Magnet is 14:1, which is 17% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 11% 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 Independence High Magnet?
76.0% of students at Independence High Magnet are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence High Magnet?
The largest demographic group at Independence High Magnet is African American at 54.1% of enrollment, in Independence, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence High Magnet?
Independence High Magnet has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Independence High Magnet a good school?
Independence High Magnet earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Tangipahoa Parish?
Besides Independence High Magnet, Tangipahoa Parish also operates Ponchatoula High School (2,067 students), Hammond High Magnet School (1,606 students), and Hammond Eastside Magnet (1,340 students). See the Tangipahoa 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.