Ferriday High School

Ferriday High School in Ferriday, LA, serves 289 students in grades 8 through 12 and is part of the Concordia Parish school district, with a very high percentage of students (over 93%) qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

While Ferriday High School has consistently ranked in the bottom 15% of Louisiana high schools over the past decade, it stands out for its strong graduation rate. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school achieved a graduation rate of 89.9%, which is higher than nearby Vidalia High School (80.0%), Block High School (82.8%), and the state average (85.0%). This suggests the school is effective at keeping students on track to graduate, even though academic proficiency on standardized tests remains a challenge. For example, in 2025-2026, only 16% of Ferriday students were proficient in Geometry, compared to 59% at Vidalia High School. The school also shows a notable gender gap, with male students ranking in the 5th percentile statewide, while female students rank in the 14th percentile.

On a positive note, chronic absenteeism has improved significantly, dropping from 29.7% in 2022-2023 to 21.7% in 2024-2025, which is now below the state average of 22.5%. This is a stark contrast to nearby schools, where absenteeism rates are much higher (31.3% at Vidalia and 41.1% at Block). The school’s favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 9.3:1 also provides potential for individualized attention. While academic performance in core subjects like math and English is inconsistent from year to year, Ferriday High School demonstrates a clear strength in student persistence and graduation, making it a school that prioritizes keeping students engaged through to completion.