Enrollment
1,188
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Natchitoches, LA
Natchitoches Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Natchitoches Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 220114000834
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Natchitoches Central High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. It is also one of the largest schools in Louisiana.
- #7 of 10
- public schools in Natchitoches · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 83.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Natchitoches Central High School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Natchitoches Central High School ranks #7 of 10 public schools in Natchitoches, LA.
School address
District: Natchitoches Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220114000834 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
81.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.7%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Natchitoches Central High School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Natchitoches Central High School
Natchitoches Central High School is a high-poverty, large high school in Natchitoches, Louisiana, enrolling 1,188 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 83.7% of students qualify for free meals, 34% above the Louisiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Louisiana, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,188 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 42 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #10.
Its student body is led by African American (58%) and White (32%) (diversity index 56/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 396 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 20.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 360 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,188 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Natchitoches's high schools, it stands alongside Louisiana School for Math Science & the Arts (272 students): Natchitoches Central High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.7:1 vs 6.6:1).
Natchitoches Parish also operates L.P. Vaughn Elementary & Middle School (687 students) and Provencal Elementary & Junior High School (444 students) alongside Natchitoches Central High 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 Natchitoches Central High School compares
Natchitoches Central High 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 | 14.7:1 | ▼ 13% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.7% | ▲ 34% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,188 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,188
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 32% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.9%
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
$15,353
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 396 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
214
in-school suspensions + 146 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 30.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 58.3%
White 31.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 58.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.5, Natchitoches Central High School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Natchitoches Parish, which includes Natchitoches Central High School.
$15,353
Per student
-6%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 36.4%
Federal 20.8%
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 Natchitoches Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| L.P. Vaughn Elementary & Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Provencal Elementary & Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Natchitoches Magnet School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Natchitoches Elementary & Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| M.R. Weaver Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Natchitoches Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 687
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 444
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
- Enrollment
- 420
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 70/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 379
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Natchitoches
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~1,188 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Natchitoches Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Natchitoches Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches Central High School
How many students attend Natchitoches Central High School?
Natchitoches Central High School has 1,188 students enrolled. It is a high school in Natchitoches, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Natchitoches Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Natchitoches Central High School is 14.7:1, which is 13% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 6% 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 Natchitoches Central High School?
83.7% of students at Natchitoches Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Natchitoches Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Natchitoches Central High School is African American at 58.3% of enrollment, in Natchitoches, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Natchitoches Central High School?
Natchitoches Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Natchitoches Central High School rank among public schools in Natchitoches?
By Resource Investment Index, Natchitoches Central High School ranks #7 of 10 public schools in Natchitoches, 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 Natchitoches on the city page.
Is Natchitoches Central High School a good school?
Natchitoches Central High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. It is also one of the largest 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 Natchitoches Parish?
Besides Natchitoches Central High School, Natchitoches Parish also operates L.P. Vaughn Elementary & Middle School (687 students), Provencal Elementary & Junior High School (444 students), and Natchitoches Magnet School (420 students). See the Natchitoches 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.