Summary:
There is one high school in Catahoula Parish, Block High School, which serves grades 6 through 12 in a small, rural area where nearly all students (94.41%) come from economically disadvantaged households.
Block High School has a very low student-teacher ratio of 8.3 to 1, which is a strong asset that usually allows for more individual attention. However, the school faces significant challenges that prevent this advantage from translating into higher academic performance. The most critical issue is chronic absenteeism, with 41.1% of students missing too many days—nearly double the state average of 22.5%. This directly impacts learning, as the school's proficiency rates on state LEAP tests are well below state averages in every subject: 27% in Math (state: 62%), 50% in English Language Arts (state: 70%), and 27% in Social Studies (state: 55%). The dropout rate is also a major concern at 8.9%, more than triple the state rate of 3.1%.
Despite these struggles, there is a small sign of progress. The school's state ranking has improved from the 9th percentile (0 stars) in 2024-2025 to the 21st percentile (1 star) in 2025-2026, suggesting some targeted interventions may be taking effect. The graduation rate of 82.8% is slightly below the state average of 85.0%. For parents, the key takeaway is that Block High School has the structural advantage of small class sizes, but its biggest hurdle is getting students to attend school consistently. Addressing the absenteeism crisis is the most critical step needed to improve all other academic outcomes.
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