Mangham High School

Mangham High School is a small, rural school in Richland Parish, Louisiana, serving 294 students in grades 9-12, and it stands out for its exceptional ability to keep students on track to graduate, even as it faces challenges with academic proficiency and rising absenteeism.

Mangham’s greatest strength is its graduation rate of 94.3%, which far exceeds the state average of 85% and is higher than nearby Rayville High School and Franklin Parish High School. Its dropout rate is just 1.6%, significantly lower than the district’s 4.3%. However, the school’s academic test scores on state exams are below state averages, creating a "graduation vs. proficiency" paradox: students are finishing school but struggling to master core subjects like English II (48% proficient) and U.S. History (41% proficient). Despite this, Mangham is the clear academic leader within its district, outperforming Rayville High School in every subject—for example, 55% of Mangham students passed Algebra I compared to just 25% at Rayville. Interestingly, Mangham even matches or beats the much larger Ouachita Parish High School in graduation rate (94.3% vs. 90.6%) and Algebra I proficiency (both at 55%), showing it can compete with schools from higher-ranked districts.

A growing concern is chronic absenteeism, which has more than doubled from 9.5% in 2021-2022 to 17.5% in 2024-2025, though this is still better than the state average of 22.5% and rates at Richwood High School and Franklin Parish High School. Additionally, the school has seen a sharp decline in how it serves its African American students, dropping from the 42nd percentile to the 7th percentile in just two years, a trend that warrants attention. For parents, Mangham offers a supportive environment that prioritizes student retention and completion, but families should be aware of the need for extra academic support and the importance of regular attendance to help their child succeed.