Enrollment
332
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Start, LA
Start Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Start Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220135001106
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 93
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Start Elementary School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Louisiana schools.
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 55.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 332
- students enrolled
Start Elementary School has class sizes larger than 73% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Richland Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220135001106 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.7%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Start Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Start Elementary School
Start Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Start, Louisiana, enrolling 332 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 55.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 332 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 1,330 Louisiana schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 272 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #19, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and African American (22%) (diversity index 42/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 26.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Richland Parish also operates Mangham Elementary School (404 students) and Rayville High School (341 students) alongside Start 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 Start Elementary School compares
Start 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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 10% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.7% | ▼ 11% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 332 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
332
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 73% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
2.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$13,709
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 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 73.2%
African American 22.0%
Two or More 1.8%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 73.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.5, Start Elementary School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland Parish, which includes Start Elementary School.
$13,709
Per student
-16%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.5%
State 36.1%
Federal 26.4%
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 Start Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mangham Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rayville High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rayville Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mangham High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Holly Ridge Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Start Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 294
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 232
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
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 (~332 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Start Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Start Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Richland 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 Start Elementary School
How many students attend Start Elementary School?
Start Elementary School has 332 students enrolled. It is a public school in Start, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Start Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Start Elementary School is 18.4:1, which is 10% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Start Elementary School?
55.7% of students at Start Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Start Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Start Elementary School is White at 73.2% of enrollment, in Start, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Start Elementary School?
Start Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (higher 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).
Is Start Elementary School a good school?
Start Elementary School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of 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 Richland Parish?
Besides Start Elementary School, Richland Parish also operates Mangham Elementary School (404 students), Rayville High School (341 students), and Rayville Elementary School (333 students). See the Richland 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.