Enrollment
2,067
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
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 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 220168001319
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 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 26/100 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
- 26
- 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
District: Tangipahoa Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220168001319 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
104.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.8%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ponchatoula High School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ponchatoula High School
Ponchatoula High School is a large high school in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, enrolling 2,067 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Louisiana, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,067 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Among 42 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #35, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and African American (34%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 689 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Tangipahoa Parish spends $12,458 per pupil, 24% below the Louisiana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 20.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 519 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 2,067 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Tangipahoa Parish also operates Hammond High Magnet School (1,606 students) and Hammond Eastside Magnet (1,340 students) alongside Ponchatoula 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 Ponchatoula High School compares
Ponchatoula 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 | 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 (what these measure)
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
$12,458
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
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.
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
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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tangipahoa Parish, which includes Ponchatoula High School.
$12,458
Per student
-24%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.2%
State 40.7%
Federal 20.1%
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 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
- Enrollment
- 1,606
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,340
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,163
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,022
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 800
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~2,067 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ponchatoula High School's federal record.
- Compare Ponchatoula High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tangipahoa 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 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.
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 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, 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.
Is Ponchatoula High School a good school?
Ponchatoula High School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Louisiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Louisiana. 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 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.
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.