Enrollment
663
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lafayette, LA
Prairie Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220087000688
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Elementary School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana schools.
- #3 of 16
- schools in Lafayette · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 48.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Prairie Elementary School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Elementary School ranks #3 of 16 schools in Lafayette, LA.
School address
District: Lafayette Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220087000688 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.8%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairie Elementary School
Prairie Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Lafayette, Louisiana, enrolling 663 students.
At 16.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Louisiana median, within a few percentage points of the 16.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 663 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 333 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #50.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and African American (39%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 332 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Lafayette Parish spends $11,837 per pupil, 28% below the Louisiana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lafayette's public schools, it stands alongside Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy (2,177 students): Prairie Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 33:1).
Lafayette Parish also operates Southside High School (1,833 students) and Lafayette High School (1,720 students) alongside Prairie Elementary 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 Prairie Elementary School compares
Prairie Elementary 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 | 16.2:1 | ▼ 4% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.8% | ▼ 22% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 663 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
663
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 48% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
4.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$11,837
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 332 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
51
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 44.5%
African American 38.6%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
Two or More 4.2%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 44.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, Prairie Elementary School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lafayette Parish, which includes Prairie Elementary School.
$11,837
Per student
-28%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.5%
State 32.8%
Federal 15.7%
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 Prairie Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lafayette High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Acadiana High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| David Thibodaux Stem Magnet Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Milton Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,833
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,652
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,362
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,261
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Lafayette
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy
Standard public school
2,177 students 33:1 students per teacher
David Thibodaux Stem Magnet Academy
Vocational / career-technical school
1,362 students 21:1 students per teacher
Milton Elementary School
Standard public school
1,261 students 20:1 students per teacher
Woodvale Elementary School
Standard public school
793 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Broadmoor Elementary School
Standard public school
749 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
S.J. Montgomery Elementary School
Standard public school
663 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~663 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Prairie Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lafayette 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 Prairie Elementary School
How many students attend Prairie Elementary School?
Prairie Elementary School has 663 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lafayette, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Elementary School is 16.2:1, which is 4% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 3% higher 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 Prairie Elementary School?
48.8% of students at Prairie Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Elementary School is White at 44.5% of enrollment, in Lafayette, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Elementary School?
Prairie Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Prairie Elementary School rank among schools in Lafayette?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Elementary School ranks #3 of 16 schools in Lafayette, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lafayette on the city page.
Is Prairie Elementary School a good school?
Prairie Elementary School earns 57/100 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 Lafayette Parish?
Besides Prairie Elementary School, Lafayette Parish also operates Southside High School (1,833 students), Lafayette High School (1,720 students), and Acadiana High School (1,652 students). See the Lafayette 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.