High Schools in Rapides Parish

The seven high schools in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, serve grades 6-12 or 9-12 and range from a small rural school of 248 students to a large urban school of 1,475, creating a diverse educational landscape within a district ranked in the 76th percentile statewide.

Bolton Academy presents the most striking paradox: it achieves elite test scores (99% proficient in English) and the lowest chronic absenteeism (8.2%), yet has the parish's worst graduation rate (65.6%) and highest dropout rate (12.2%). In contrast, Pineville High School shows consistent, upward momentum, improving its state rank from #81 to #58 over three years while posting the highest Algebra I proficiency (83%) and a low dropout rate (1.0%). Buckeye High School stands out for broad-based strength, outperforming district and state averages across all grades and subjects. Peabody Magnet High School faces the greatest challenges, with the lowest state rank (#287), lowest test scores, and highest economic disadvantage (94.4% free/reduced lunch). Tioga High School and Alexandria Senior High School both achieve strong graduation rates above 92%, while Rapides High School struggles with the highest chronic absenteeism (34.4%).

Key metrics reveal wide disparities: the average graduation rate is 85.4%, but ranges from 65.6% to 92.4%. Chronic absenteeism averages 21.8%, with four schools exceeding the state average. The student-teacher ratio averages 14:1, from 10:1 at Bolton Academy to 17.9:1 at Alexandria Senior High. Economic disadvantage, measured by free/reduced lunch rates averaging 69.3%, strongly correlates with performance, as the lowest-performing schools have the highest rates. Pineville's upward trajectory and Buckeye's consistent achievement across all grades make them standouts for families seeking reliable, high-quality education in the parish.