Enrollment
256
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Varnado, LA
Varnado High School
Federal NCES profile for Varnado High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220186001429
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Varnado High School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Louisiana schools.
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.2:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 76.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 256
- students enrolled
Varnado High School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Washington Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220186001429 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.1%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Varnado High School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Varnado High School
Varnado High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Varnado, Louisiana, enrolling 256 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 256 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 234 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #61.
Its student body is led by African American (64%) and White (31%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 256 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 22.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 139 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 256 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Washington Parish also operates Pine School (738 students) and Thomas Elementary School (721 students) alongside Varnado 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 Varnado High School compares
Varnado 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 15% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.1% | ▲ 22% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 256 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
256
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 28% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,638
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 256 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
112
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 43.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 54.3 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
African American 64.1%
White 31.3%
Two or More 2.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 64.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.0, Varnado 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 Washington Parish, which includes Varnado High School.
$13,638
Per student
-17%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.1%
State 55.5%
Federal 22.5%
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 Varnado High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Franklinton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Franklinton Primary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Franklinton Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Varnado High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 649
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 69/100
- Enrollment
- 389
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
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 (~256 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Varnado High School's federal record.
- Compare Varnado High School against another school. Compare schools
- Washington 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 Varnado High School
How many students attend Varnado High School?
Varnado High School has 256 students enrolled. It is a public school in Varnado, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Varnado High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Varnado High School is 14.2:1, which is 15% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 10% 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 Varnado High School?
76.1% of students at Varnado High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Varnado High School?
The largest demographic group at Varnado High School is African American at 64.1% of enrollment, in Varnado, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Varnado High School?
Varnado High School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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).
Is Varnado High School a good school?
Varnado High School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Washington Parish?
Besides Varnado High School, Washington Parish also operates Pine School (738 students), Thomas Elementary School (721 students), and Franklinton High School (649 students). See the Washington 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.