Enrollment
222
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Franklin, LA
W.P. Foster Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for W.P. Foster Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220162001241
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
W.P. Foster Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Franklin · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 88.8%
- free-lunch eligible
W.P. Foster Elementary School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, W.P. Foster Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Franklin, LA.
School address
District: St. Mary Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220162001241 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.8%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How W.P. Foster Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at W.P. Foster Elementary School
W.P. Foster Elementary School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Franklin, Louisiana, enrolling 222 students.
At 17.1:1, 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 is high: 88.8% of students qualify for free meals, 42% above the Louisiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 222 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 153 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #73.
Its student body is led by African American (77%) and White (14%) (diversity index 39/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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.
Among Franklin's public schools, it stands alongside V. B. Glencoe Charter School (502 students): W.P. Foster Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.1:1 vs 14.8:1).
St. Mary Parish also operates Morgan City High School (650 students) and Hattie a. Watts Elementary School (601 students) alongside W.P. Foster 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 W.P. Foster Elementary School compares
W.P. Foster 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 | 17.1:1 | ▲ 2% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.8% | ▲ 42% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 222 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
222
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 59% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.5%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.4 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 76.6%
White 14.0%
Two or More 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
Largest group: African American at 76.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.9, W.P. Foster 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 St. Mary Parish, which includes W.P. Foster Elementary 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 W.P. Foster Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hattie a. Watts Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Berwick High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher 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 W.P. Foster Elementary 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 other schools in Franklin
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~222 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on W.P. Foster Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare W.P. Foster Elementary 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 W.P. Foster Elementary School
How many students attend W.P. Foster Elementary School?
W.P. Foster Elementary School has 222 students enrolled. It is a public school in Franklin, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at W.P. Foster Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at W.P. Foster Elementary School is 17.1:1, which is 2% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at W.P. Foster Elementary School?
88.8% of students at W.P. Foster Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of W.P. Foster Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at W.P. Foster Elementary School is African American at 76.6% of enrollment, in Franklin, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for W.P. Foster Elementary School?
W.P. Foster Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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).
How does W.P. Foster Elementary School rank among schools in Franklin?
By Resource Investment Index, W.P. Foster Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Franklin, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Franklin on the city page.
Is W.P. Foster Elementary School a good school?
W.P. Foster Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. 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 W.P. Foster Elementary 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.