High Schools in Jackson Parish

Jackson Parish, Louisiana, is served by a single high school, Jonesboro-Hodge High School, which educates 198 students in grades 9 through 12 within the Jackson Parish school district, a small rural area where nearly 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Jonesboro-Hodge High School presents a complex picture for parents. On the positive side, the school boasts an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 8.3:1, which is far better than the state average and suggests students could receive significant individual attention. The school also has a low dropout rate of 1.8%, well below the state average of 3.1%, indicating it is effective at keeping students enrolled. However, these advantages are overshadowed by serious challenges. Academic proficiency rates are critically low, with only 14% of students proficient in Geometry and 21% in English I. The graduation rate of 81.8% also falls below the state average of 85.0%.

The most pressing issue is a chronic absenteeism rate of 32.7%, meaning nearly one in three students misses so much school that it severely impacts their learning. This high absenteeism likely explains why the school's strong student-teacher ratio is not translating into academic success. The school's state ranking has also declined sharply, falling from the 17th percentile to the 4th percentile over three years. While the school is effective at preventing dropouts, it is struggling to ensure that students who remain enrolled are actually present and learning at grade level, making chronic absenteeism the most urgent area for improvement.