Enrollment
276
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Baldwin, LA
West St. Mary High School
Federal NCES profile for West St. Mary High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 220162001253
👥 S:T ratio 8
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West St. Mary High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Louisiana schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Baldwin · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 81.0%
- free-lunch eligible
West St. Mary High School has class sizes larger than 93% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West St. Mary High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Baldwin, LA.
School address
District: St. Mary Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220162001253 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.0%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West St. Mary High School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at West St. Mary High School
West St. Mary High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Baldwin, Louisiana, enrolling 276 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23:1 is larger than about 93% of Louisiana schools and 37% above the 16.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 276 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Among 250 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #221, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (75%) and White (16%) (diversity index 41/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 276 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 92 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 276 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
St. Mary Parish also operates Morgan City High School (650 students) and Hattie a. Watts Elementary School (601 students) alongside West St. Mary 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 West St. Mary High School compares
West St. Mary 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 | 23:1 | ▲ 37% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.0% | ▲ 30% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 276 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
276
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
23:1
students per teacher
- 37% above state mean
Top 93% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
34.8%
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
$13,564
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 276 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
88
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 31.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.3 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
African American 75.0%
White 15.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.0%
Two or More 2.2%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 75.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.0, West St. Mary High School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Mary Parish, which includes West St. Mary High School.
$13,564
Per student
-17%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.2%
State 40.8%
Federal 17.0%
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 West St. Mary High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hattie a. Watts Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Berwick High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Patterson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centerville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West St. Mary High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 650
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 429
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar high 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 (~276 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West St. Mary High School's federal record.
- Compare West St. Mary High School against another school. Compare schools
- St. Mary 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 West St. Mary High School
How many students attend West St. Mary High School?
West St. Mary High School has 276 students enrolled. It is a high school in Baldwin, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West St. Mary High School?
The student-teacher ratio at West St. Mary High School is 23:1, which is 37% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West St. Mary High School?
81.0% of students at West St. Mary High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West St. Mary High School?
The largest demographic group at West St. Mary High School is African American at 75.0% of enrollment, in Baldwin, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West St. Mary High School?
West St. Mary High School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does West St. Mary High School rank among public schools in Baldwin?
By Resource Investment Index, West St. Mary High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Baldwin, 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 Baldwin on the city page.
Is West St. Mary High School a good school?
West St. Mary High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 St. Mary Parish?
Besides West St. Mary High School, St. Mary Parish also operates Morgan City High School (650 students), Hattie a. Watts Elementary School (601 students), and Berwick High School (469 students). See the St. Mary 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.