High Schools in St. James Parish

The two public high schools in St. James Parish, Louisiana—Lutcher High School and St. James High School—serve grades 7 through 12 and offer distinct strengths for families to consider. Lutcher High School, with 908 students, earns a higher overall state ranking (71st percentile) and a 4-star rating, while St. James High School, with 593 students, ranks in the 50th percentile with a 3-star rating. However, St. James High School stands out for its exceptional graduation rate of 92.7%, well above the district average of 89.5% and the state average of 85.0%, and its low dropout rate of 2.2% compared to Lutcher’s 4.0%.

Academically, the schools show different areas of strength. In the 2025-2026 school year, St. James High School outperformed Lutcher in English Language Arts proficiency (78% vs. 70%) and Social Studies (67% vs. 58%), while both schools tied in Math proficiency at 65%. Conversely, Lutcher High School excelled in STEM-focused End-of-Course exams, surpassing St. James in Algebra I (72% vs. 67%), Geometry (68% vs. 60%), and Biology (77% vs. 67%). Both schools keep chronic absenteeism rates well below the state average of 22.5%, with Lutcher at 14.1% and St. James at 16.7%, indicating strong attendance policies across the district.

Resource allocation also differs between the two schools. St. James High School has a lower student-teacher ratio of 11.3 compared to Lutcher’s 13.4, which may allow for more individualized attention. This is notable given that St. James serves a higher percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds (71.5% receiving free/reduced lunch) compared to Lutcher (49.78%). The combination of a lower student-teacher ratio and a higher graduation rate at St. James suggests effective support systems, while Lutcher’s higher state ranking and strong STEM performance highlight its academic strengths. Parents should weigh these factors—such as graduation outcomes versus overall rankings—when choosing between these two schools in the district.