Enrollment
355
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Buras, LA
South Plaquemines High School
Federal NCES profile for South Plaquemines High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220123002028
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Plaquemines High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of Louisiana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana schools.
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 92.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 355
- students enrolled
South Plaquemines High School has class sizes smaller than 77% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Plaquemines Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220123002028 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.7%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Plaquemines High School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Plaquemines High School
South Plaquemines High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Buras, Louisiana, enrolling 355 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 92.7% of students qualify for free meals, 48% above the Louisiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 355 students, its enrollment sits close to the Louisiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Among 173 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #134, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (45%) and White (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 355 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.3% 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 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Plaquemines Parish also operates Belle Chasse High School (883 students) and Belle Chasse Middle School (656 students) alongside South Plaquemines 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 South Plaquemines High School compares
South Plaquemines 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 18% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.7% | ▲ 48% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 355 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
355
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 23% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.9%
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
$18,630
per pupil, district-wide
- above Louisiana avg of $16,376
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 355 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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 44.8%
White 28.5%
Asian 13.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.1%
Two or More 1.1%
Largest group: African American at 44.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.1, South Plaquemines 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 Plaquemines Parish, which includes South Plaquemines High School.
$18,630
Per student
+14%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.7%
State 15.0%
Federal 22.3%
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 South Plaquemines High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Chasse High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belle Chasse Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belle Chasse Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belle Chasse Primary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Boothville-Venice Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Plaquemines High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 883
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 656
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 395
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 270
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~355 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Plaquemines High School's federal record.
- Compare South Plaquemines High School against another school. Compare schools
- Plaquemines 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 South Plaquemines High School
How many students attend South Plaquemines High School?
South Plaquemines High School has 355 students enrolled. It is a public school in Buras, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Plaquemines High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Plaquemines High School is 13.7:1, which is 18% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 13% 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 South Plaquemines High School?
92.7% of students at South Plaquemines High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Plaquemines High School?
The largest demographic group at South Plaquemines High School is African American at 44.8% of enrollment, in Buras, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Plaquemines High School?
South Plaquemines High School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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).
Is South Plaquemines High School a good school?
South Plaquemines High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of Louisiana schools. 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 Plaquemines Parish?
Besides South Plaquemines High School, Plaquemines Parish also operates Belle Chasse High School (883 students), Belle Chasse Middle School (656 students), and Belle Chasse Elementary School (543 students). See the Plaquemines 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.