High Schools in Vernon Parish

The Vernon Parish school district in Louisiana is home to four high schools serving grades 7-12, with the exception of Leesville High School, which is the only traditional 9-12 school. The district holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 83rd percentile statewide, but the schools within it show a wide range of performance, from a top-tier star to a struggling institution.

Anacoco High School is the clear standout, earning a 5-star rating and ranking 13th in the state (96th percentile) for the 2025-2026 school year. It achieves exceptional LEAP proficiency rates—88% in Math, 91% in ELA, and 79% in Social Studies—despite having a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (60.45%). In contrast, Pickering High School is the lowest performer, with a 3-star rating and a 65th percentile state rank. Its proficiency rates are significantly lower, including just 35% in Math and 41% in Social Studies, and it has the highest chronic absenteeism rate in the parish at 43.3%. Rosepine High School shows mixed results: it has strong Math and ELA scores (80% each) but struggles in Social Studies (63%), and it has experienced a dramatic decline from a 5-star, top-30 school in 2023-2024 to a 4-star school ranked 91st. Leesville High School is a solid performer on End-of-Course exams, with 80% proficiency in English I and 74% in Algebra I, but its overall data is limited because it does not report "All Grades" scores like the other schools.

Chronic absenteeism is a major challenge across the parish, with a district average of 31.5%—well above the state average of 22.5%. The correlation between attendance and performance is stark: Pickering High has the worst absenteeism and worst test scores, while Rosepine High has the lowest absenteeism (23.7%) and is the second-highest performing school overall. Interestingly, Pickering High has the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.1:1) in the parish, yet its performance is the weakest, highlighting that small class sizes alone cannot overcome high absenteeism and other challenges. For parents, Anacoco High is the top choice for academic excellence, while Rosepine High offers a strong option with better attendance, and Leesville High provides a traditional high school experience with decent EOC scores.