Summary:
DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, is home to two public high schools serving grades 9-12: North DeSoto High School and Mansfield High School, with the DeSoto Parish district earning a strong 4-star rating and ranking 19th out of 116 districts statewide.
The standout school in the parish is North DeSoto High School, a larger institution with 817 students that consistently ranks in the top 10-15% of Louisiana high schools, earning a 5-star rating. It excels in STEM subjects, with Algebra I proficiency at 91%—far above the state average of 65%—and strong scores in Geometry (85%) and Biology (78%). In contrast, Mansfield High School serves 327 students and faces significant challenges, ranking in the bottom 40% of schools statewide. Its academic performance lags well behind, with Algebra I proficiency at just 39% and English I at an alarmingly low 33%, compared to the state average of 66%. The socioeconomic divide is stark: only 40.64% of North DeSoto students qualify for free/reduced lunch, compared to 82.87% at Mansfield, highlighting a clear achievement gap tied to economic factors.
Despite these differences, both schools share some positive traits. Dropout rates are exceptionally low—0.5% at North DeSoto and 0.6% at Mansfield—compared to the state average of 3.1%, indicating strong student retention. Graduation rates are also high, with Mansfield at 94.6% and North DeSoto at 92.6%. However, chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern, with both schools exceeding the state average of 22.5% (24.3% at North DeSoto and 27.3% at Mansfield). For parents, North DeSoto High School offers top-tier academic performance, especially in math and science, while Mansfield High School provides a supportive environment with low dropout rates but requires targeted support to improve academic outcomes.
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