Enrollment
120
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 220129002510
Mckeithen Head Start — Alexandria, LA
Federal NCES profile for Mckeithen Head Start, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 76/100.
👥 Class size 76
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Rapides Parish · Louisiana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6:1
vs 18.6:1 Louisiana avg
-68% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Mckeithen Head Start reports 120 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 68% below the Louisiana state mean of 18.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 62% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 92.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 48% above the Louisiana average and 79% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Rapides Parish spends $14,229 per pupil district-wide, below the Louisiana average of $17,870 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 38.9% from local sources (property taxes), 43.2% from the state, and 17.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 76/100 (B+), calculated from 1 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mckeithen Head Start compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Louisiana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 6:1 | ▼ 68% | 18.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.5% | ▲ 48% | 62.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 120 | top 5% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
92.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 48% 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
6:1
students per teacher
— 68% below state mean
Top 1% in Louisiana — lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$14,229
per pupil, district-wide
— below Louisiana avg of $17,870
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Overview
Enrollment 120 Top 5% in Louisiana — larger than 95% of 1,330 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 6:1 -68% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 92.5% +48% vs state
NCES ID 220129002510
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rapides Parish, which includes Mckeithen Head Start.
$14,229
Per student
-20%
vs Louisiana
Avg $17,870
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,475
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,271
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,071
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 924
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 915
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
Similar other schools in Alexandria
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cherokee Elementary School
Standard public school
576 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
J.B. Nachman Elementary School
Standard public school
546 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Mabel Brasher Montessori
Standard public school
508 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Peabody Montessori Elementary School
Standard public school
466 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
D.F. Huddle Elementary
Standard public school
412 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Rosenthal Montessori Elementary School
Standard public school
366 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Mckeithen Head Start
How many students attend Mckeithen Head Start?
Mckeithen Head Start has 120 students enrolled. It is a other 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 68% lower than the Louisiana average of 18.6:1 and 62% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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 (B+) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.