Enrollment
723
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ponchatoula, LA
Ponchatoula Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Ponchatoula Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 220168001317
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ponchatoula Junior High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana schools.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in Ponchatoula · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- students per teacher
- 54.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ponchatoula Junior High School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ponchatoula Junior High School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Ponchatoula, LA.
School address
District: Tangipahoa Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220168001317 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.9%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ponchatoula Junior High School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ponchatoula Junior High School
Ponchatoula Junior High School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, enrolling 723 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 54.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 723 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Among 329 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #278, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and African American (40%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
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: 263 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 723 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Tangipahoa Parish also operates Ponchatoula High School (2,067 students) and Hammond High Magnet School (1,606 students) alongside Ponchatoula Junior 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 Junior High School compares
Ponchatoula Junior 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 | 17.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.9% | ▼ 12% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 723 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
723
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 64% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
55.0%
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
$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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
128
in-school suspensions + 135 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.4 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 43.0%
African American 40.2%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 43.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.9, Ponchatoula Junior High School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tangipahoa Parish, which includes Ponchatoula Junior 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 Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ponchatoula High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hammond High Magnet School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hammond Eastside Magnet | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Champ Cooper Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hammond Westside Montessori | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ponchatoula Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,067
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- 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
Similar middle 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 (~723 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ponchatoula Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Ponchatoula Junior 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 Junior High School
How many students attend Ponchatoula Junior High School?
Ponchatoula Junior High School has 723 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ponchatoula, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ponchatoula Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ponchatoula Junior High School is 17.6:1, which is 5% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ponchatoula Junior High School?
54.9% of students at Ponchatoula Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ponchatoula Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Ponchatoula Junior High School is White at 43.0% of enrollment, in Ponchatoula, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ponchatoula Junior High School?
Ponchatoula Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ponchatoula Junior High School rank among public schools in Ponchatoula?
By Resource Investment Index, Ponchatoula Junior High School ranks #2 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 Junior High School a good school?
Ponchatoula Junior High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana schools. 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 Junior High School, Tangipahoa Parish also operates Ponchatoula High School (2,067 students), Hammond High Magnet School (1,606 students), and Hammond Eastside Magnet (1,340 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.