Enrollment
277
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Donaldsonville, LA
Lowery Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Lowery Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 220009000042
👥 S:T ratio 69
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lowery Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Louisiana schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Donaldsonville · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7.7:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 82.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Lowery Middle School has class sizes smaller than 98% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lowery Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Donaldsonville, LA.
School address
District: Ascension Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220009000042 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.7:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-54% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.0%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lowery Middle School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lowery Middle School
Lowery Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, enrolling 277 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.7:1, Lowery Middle School is leaner than roughly 98% of Louisiana schools and 54% under the state's 16.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 277 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 253 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #79.
Its student body is predominantly African American (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 8/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 120 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 277 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Ascension Parish also operates Dutchtown High School (2,029 students) and East Ascension High School (1,894 students) alongside Lowery Middle 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 Lowery Middle School compares
Lowery Middle 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 | 7.7:1 | ▼ 54% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.0% | ▲ 31% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.7:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
277
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
7.7:1
students per teacher
- 54% below state mean
Top 2% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
28.5%
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
$14,042
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
51
in-school suspensions + 69 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 43.3 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 96.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
White 0.7%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 96.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.7, Lowery Middle School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ascension Parish, which includes Lowery Middle School.
$14,042
Per student
-14%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.9%
State 32.2%
Federal 13.9%
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 Lowery Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutchtown High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Ascension High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Amant High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairieville Primary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lowery Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,029
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,894
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,847
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,096
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 865
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle 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 (~277 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lowery Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Lowery Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Ascension 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 Lowery Middle School
How many students attend Lowery Middle School?
Lowery Middle School has 277 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Donaldsonville, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lowery Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lowery Middle School is 7.7:1, which is 54% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 51% 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 Lowery Middle School?
82.0% of students at Lowery Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lowery Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Lowery Middle School is African American at 96.0% of enrollment, in Donaldsonville, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lowery Middle School?
Lowery Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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).
How does Lowery Middle School rank among public schools in Donaldsonville?
By Resource Investment Index, Lowery Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Donaldsonville, 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 Donaldsonville on the city page.
Is Lowery Middle School a good school?
Lowery Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Louisiana schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Ascension Parish?
Besides Lowery Middle School, Ascension Parish also operates Dutchtown High School (2,029 students), East Ascension High School (1,894 students), and St. Amant High School (1,847 students). See the Ascension 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.