Enrollment
120
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Alexandria, LA
Mckeithen Head Start
Federal NCES profile for Mckeithen Head Start, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 76/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220129002510
👥 S:T ratio 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mckeithen Head Start earns 76/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Louisiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Louisiana.
- #1 of 19
- schools in Alexandria · Resource Index
- 76
- Resource Index · Higher
- 6:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 92.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Mckeithen Head Start has class sizes smaller than 99% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mckeithen Head Start ranks #1 of 19 schools in Alexandria, LA.
School address
District: Rapides Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220129002510 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-64% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.5%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mckeithen Head Start compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mckeithen Head Start
Mckeithen Head Start is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Alexandria, Louisiana, enrolling 120 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6:1, Mckeithen Head Start is leaner than roughly 99% of Louisiana schools and 64% under the state's 16.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 92.5% of students qualify for free meals, 48% above the Louisiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of Louisiana schools, with 120 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 1,330 Louisiana schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 43 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its district draws 17.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Alexandria's public schools, it stands alongside Cherokee Elementary School (576 students): Mckeithen Head Start is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (6:1 vs 18:1).
Rapides Parish also operates Alexandria Senior High School (1,475 students) and Pineville High School (1,271 students) alongside Mckeithen Head Start.
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 Mckeithen Head Start compares
Mckeithen Head Start on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 6:1 | ▼ 64% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.5% | ▲ 48% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 120 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
120
Bigger than 12% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
6:1
students per teacher
- 64% below state mean
Top 1% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$13,896
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.
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.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rapides Parish, which includes Mckeithen Head Start.
$13,896
Per student
-15%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 43.2%
Federal 17.9%
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 Mckeithen Head Start Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pineville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Peabody Magnet High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J.I. Barron Sr. Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buckeye High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mckeithen Head Start's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,475
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,271
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,071
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 924
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 915
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Alexandria
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cherokee Elementary School
Standard public school
576 students 18:1 students per teacher
J.B. Nachman Elementary School
Standard public school
546 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Mabel Brasher Montessori
Standard public school
508 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Peabody Montessori Elementary School
Standard public school
466 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
D.F. Huddle Elementary
Standard public school
412 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Rosenthal Montessori Elementary School
Standard public school
366 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
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 (~120 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mckeithen Head Start's federal record.
- Compare Mckeithen Head Start against another school. Compare schools
- Rapides 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 Mckeithen Head Start
How many students attend Mckeithen Head Start?
Mckeithen Head Start has 120 students enrolled. It is a public school in Alexandria, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mckeithen Head Start?
The student-teacher ratio at Mckeithen Head Start is 6:1, which is 64% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 62% 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 Mckeithen Head Start?
92.5% of students at Mckeithen Head Start are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mckeithen Head Start?
Mckeithen Head Start has a Resource Investment Index of 76/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Mckeithen Head Start rank among schools in Alexandria?
By Resource Investment Index, Mckeithen Head Start ranks #1 of 19 schools in Alexandria, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Alexandria on the city page.
Is Mckeithen Head Start a good school?
Mckeithen Head Start earns 76/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Louisiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Louisiana. 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 Rapides Parish?
Besides Mckeithen Head Start, Rapides Parish also operates Alexandria Senior High School (1,475 students), Pineville High School (1,271 students), and Peabody Magnet High School (1,071 students). See the Rapides 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.