High school (grades 9-12) · Ponchatoula, LA

Ponchatoula High School

Federal NCES profile for Ponchatoula High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 220168001319
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10030/100
👥 S:T ratio
20
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Ponchatoula High School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Louisiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Louisiana.

#4 of 7
public schools in Ponchatoula · Resource Index
30
Resource Index · Lower
19.9:1
large classes for Louisiana
43.8%
free-lunch eligible

Ponchatoula High School has class sizes larger than 83% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Ponchatoula High School ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Ponchatoula, LA.

School address

Ponchatoula, LA 70454
District: Tangipahoa Parish · Louisiana

NCES ID 220168001319 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-8 students YoY

Ponchatoula High School held near 2,254 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-8 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 104.2 → 114.1 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-8 students YoY 220168001319 · Ponchatoula, LA High · LARGE · TRAD

2,067 enr · 19.9:1 · 43.8% lunch · RII 30

Nearest enrollment peer: Hammond High Magnet School (1,606 students)

Ponchatoula High School held near 2,254 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-8 headcount). Teacher FTE added 104.2 → 114.1 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Louisiana schools → · Find another →

Ponchatoula High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Ponchatoula High School reports 2,067 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Ponchatoula High School compares

Ponchatoula High School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Louisiana and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Louisiana Louisiana avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 19.9:1 ▲ 18% 16.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 43.8% ▼ 30% 62.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 2,067 top 1% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,067
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
43.8%
free-lunch eligible - 30% below the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.9:1
students per teacher - 18% above state mean
Top 83% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$12,808
per pupil, district-wide - below Louisiana avg of $16,812
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 689 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
286
in-school suspensions + 233 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 51.3%
African American 33.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
Two or More 5.5%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Largest group: White at 51.3% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 61.2/100

Simpson diversity index - at 61.2, Ponchatoula High School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.

Programs

AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Tangipahoa Parish reports $12,808 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Ponchatoula High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Hammond High Magnet School Similar size Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Hammond Eastside Magnet Smaller Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio
Champ Cooper Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Hammond Westside Montessori Smaller Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio
Loranger Elementary School Smaller Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Ponchatoula High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Tangipahoa Parish · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~2,067 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.9:1)

Frequently asked questions about Ponchatoula High School

How many students attend Ponchatoula High School?

Ponchatoula High School has 2,067 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ponchatoula, LA. CCD year-over-year: 2,262 (2022-23) → 2,254 (2023-24), nearly flat (-8).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Ponchatoula High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Ponchatoula High School is 19.9:1, which is 18% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ponchatoula High School?

43.8% of students at Ponchatoula High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ponchatoula High School?

The largest demographic group at Ponchatoula High School is White at 51.3% of enrollment, in Ponchatoula, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.2/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Ponchatoula High School?

Ponchatoula High School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Ponchatoula High School rank among public schools in Ponchatoula?

By Resource Investment Index, Ponchatoula High School ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Ponchatoula, 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 Ponchatoula on the city page.

What other schools are in Tangipahoa Parish?

Besides Ponchatoula High School, Tangipahoa Parish also operates Hammond High Magnet School (1,606 students), Hammond Eastside Magnet (1,340 students), and Champ Cooper Elementary School (1,163 students). See the Tangipahoa Parish district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .