High Schools in Ouachita Parish

The five high schools in the Ouachita Parish school district serve grades 9 through 12 and range dramatically in size from 400 students at Richwood High School to over 2,000 at West Monroe High School, creating a diverse educational landscape in northeastern Louisiana.

Sterlington High School stands out as the district's top performer, earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the top 5% of all Louisiana high schools. It boasts a 0% dropout rate, the lowest chronic absenteeism at 14.2%, and test scores that far exceed both district and state averages. In contrast, Richwood High School faces significant challenges with a 1-star rating, a 7% dropout rate, and a graduation rate of just 78.6%. West Ouachita High School is notable for a recent decline, dropping from a 4-star to a 3-star rating in the 2025-2026 school year. West Monroe High School presents a paradox: despite having the highest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at 36.5%, it still maintains a 3-star rating and a graduation rate of 91.2%. Ouachita Parish High School sits in the middle with a 3-star rating and a 90.6% graduation rate.

The district's wide performance gap is striking, with schools ranging from the 96th percentile (Sterlington) to the 23rd percentile (Richwood) in state rankings. While the district's overall graduation rate of 91.6% exceeds the state average of 85%, the stark differences in outcomes suggest that tailored strategies are needed to address the unique challenges at each school, particularly at Richwood where economic factors are most pronounced.