Summary:
McDonogh 35 Senior High School is a single public high school in New Orleans, Louisiana, serving grades 9 through 12 with 851 students, and it operates as its own district, McDonogh 35 Senior High School, which holds a 2-star rating and ranks 73rd out of 116 districts in the state.
The most striking finding is a paradox: the school has an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 70.4% for the 2024-2025 school year—over three times the state average of 22.5%—yet it still achieves an above-average graduation rate of 89.1% (state: 85.0%) and a low dropout rate of 1.4% (state: 3.1%). This suggests the school may have effective credit recovery or flexible scheduling programs that help students graduate despite inconsistent attendance. Additionally, the school shows strong academic recovery, with proficiency rates improving in five out of six tested subjects from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, including a 10-point jump in Geometry (from 47% to 57%) and an 8-point increase in English I (from 50% to 58%). However, Biology proficiency dropped 9 points to 42%, well below the state average of 60%, and U.S. History remains a weak point at 39% (state: 55%).
The school serves a high-needs population, with 85.43% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, which provides context for the attendance challenges. On the positive side, the student-teacher ratio is a low 13.6:1, allowing for smaller class sizes and more individualized attention. The school’s state ranking has improved from the 26th percentile (1 star) in 2024-2025 to the 35th percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026, reflecting overall progress. For parents, this school offers a supportive environment that successfully graduates students despite significant socioeconomic hurdles, though the high absenteeism and below-average science and history scores are key areas to consider.
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