Enrollment
285
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Abbeville, LA
James a. Herod Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for James a. Herod Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 220180001394
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James a. Herod Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Louisiana schools.
- #8 of 9
- public schools in Abbeville · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 89.4%
- free-lunch eligible
James a. Herod Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James a. Herod Elementary School ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Abbeville, LA.
School address
District: Vermilion Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220180001394 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.4%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James a. Herod Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at James a. Herod Elementary School
James a. Herod Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Abbeville, Louisiana, enrolling 285 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11:1, James a. Herod Elementary School is leaner than roughly 91% of Louisiana schools and 35% under the state's 16.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 89.4% of students qualify for free meals, 43% above the Louisiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 285 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Among 188 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #151, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (65%) and White (19%) (diversity index 53/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 132 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 285 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 9 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Vermilion Parish also operates North Vermilion High School (790 students) and Leblanc Elementary School (624 students) alongside James a. Herod Elementary School.
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 James a. Herod Elementary School compares
James a. Herod Elementary 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 | 11:1 | ▼ 35% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.4% | ▲ 43% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 285 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
285
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% above the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11:1
students per teacher
- 35% below state mean
Top 9% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.2%
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
$13,778
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
96
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 33.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 46.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 9 expulsions.
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 65.3%
White 18.6%
Asian 7.0%
Two or More 5.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Largest group: African American at 65.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.0, James a. Herod Elementary School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vermilion Parish, which includes James a. Herod Elementary School.
$13,778
Per student
-16%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.5%
State 45.1%
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 James a. Herod Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Vermilion High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Leblanc Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cecil Picard Elementary School at Maurice | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Abbeville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Erath High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James a. Herod Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 624
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 592
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary 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 (~285 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James a. Herod Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare James a. Herod Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Vermilion 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 James a. Herod Elementary School
How many students attend James a. Herod Elementary School?
James a. Herod Elementary School has 285 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Abbeville, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James a. Herod Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at James a. Herod Elementary School is 11:1, which is 35% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 30% 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 James a. Herod Elementary School?
89.4% of students at James a. Herod Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James a. Herod Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at James a. Herod Elementary School is African American at 65.3% of enrollment, in Abbeville, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James a. Herod Elementary School?
James a. Herod Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 James a. Herod Elementary School rank among public schools in Abbeville?
By Resource Investment Index, James a. Herod Elementary School ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Abbeville, 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 Abbeville on the city page.
Is James a. Herod Elementary School a good school?
James a. Herod Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Vermilion Parish?
Besides James a. Herod Elementary School, Vermilion Parish also operates North Vermilion High School (790 students), Leblanc Elementary School (624 students), and Cecil Picard Elementary School at Maurice (592 students). See the Vermilion 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.