Enrollment
548
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, LA
Independence Leadership Academy
Federal NCES profile for Independence Leadership Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220168001306
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence Leadership Academy earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median.
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 78.2%
- free-lunch eligible
- 548
- students enrolled
Independence Leadership Academy has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Tangipahoa Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220168001306 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.2%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence Leadership Academy compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence Leadership Academy
Independence Leadership Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Independence, Louisiana, enrolling 548 students.
At 16.6:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 548 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
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 312 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #267, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 548 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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.
Among Independence's public schools, it stands alongside Independence High Magnet (490 students): Independence Leadership Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.6:1 vs 14:1).
Tangipahoa Parish also operates Ponchatoula High School (2,067 students) and Hammond High Magnet School (1,606 students) alongside Independence Leadership 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 Independence Leadership Academy compares
Independence Leadership 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 | 16.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.2% | ▲ 25% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 548 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
548
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 52% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 548 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 53.6%
Hispanic or Latino 24.3%
White 17.5%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 53.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, Independence Leadership Academy is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tangipahoa Parish, which includes Independence Leadership Academy.
$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 Leadership Academy 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Champ Cooper Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hammond Westside Montessori | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Independence Leadership Academy'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 (~548 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence Leadership Academy's federal record.
- Compare Independence Leadership Academy 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 Leadership Academy
How many students attend Independence Leadership Academy?
Independence Leadership Academy has 548 students enrolled. It is a public school in Independence, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Leadership Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence Leadership Academy is 16.6:1, which is 1% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 6% higher 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 Leadership Academy?
78.2% of students at Independence Leadership Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence Leadership Academy?
The largest demographic group at Independence Leadership Academy is African American at 53.6% of enrollment, in Independence, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Leadership Academy?
Independence Leadership Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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).
Is Independence Leadership Academy a good school?
Independence Leadership Academy earns 29/100 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 Tangipahoa Parish?
Besides Independence Leadership Academy, 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.