Summary:
The St. Tammany Parish school district is home to eight public high schools serving grades 9-12, a highly-rated district (18th out of 116 in Louisiana) that presents a wide range of academic environments for families.
Two schools clearly lead the parish: Mandeville High School and Lakeshore High School. Mandeville is the top performer, ranking 15th in the state with the highest graduation rate (90.0%), the lowest dropout rate (0.9%), and the best test scores. Lakeshore is a close second, ranking 16th and boasting the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (16.2%) and a very low student-teacher ratio (12.6:1). Fontainebleau High School is a standout improver, jumping from a 3-star to a 5-star ranking in just two years. At the other end, Salmen High School faces the most significant challenges, with the lowest state rank (231st), highest dropout rate (5.3%), and lowest test scores. Slidell High School also struggles, with the lowest graduation rate (72.6%) and high chronic absenteeism (32.4%).
A key takeaway is the strong link between socioeconomic factors and performance: the highest-performing schools have the fewest students on free/reduced lunch, while the lowest-performing schools have the most. Chronic absenteeism is a parish-wide issue, with six of eight schools exceeding the state average. Notably, a low student-teacher ratio is not a guarantee of success, as Pearl River High School and Lakeshore share the same low ratio (12.6:1) but have vastly different outcomes. This data shows that while Mandeville and Lakeshore offer the strongest academic environments, families should carefully consider each school's specific strengths and challenges.
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