Is Northwest High School a good school?

Northwest High School ranks 193 rd of 333 Louisiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Northwest High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 597 students attended Northwest High School.

What is the racial makeup of Northwest High School?

Students at Northwest High School are 71% African American, 23% White, 5% Hispanic.

What schools feed into Northwest High School?

Northwest High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Grand Prairie Elementary School Elementary : Grolee Elementary School Elementary : Lawtell Elementary School Middle : Plaisance Middle School

Northwest High School

Summary:

Northwest High School is a public high school located in Opelousas, Louisiana, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 582. The school is part of the St. Landry Parish school district, which is ranked 47 out of 122 districts in Louisiana and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Northwest High School has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (69.59%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 23.74% to 88.21% African American. Academically, the school's performance, as measured by proficiency rates on LEAP/EOC exams, is generally lower than the state and parish averages across most subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 49% in U.S. History to 74% in English I, while the state averages were 57% and 65%, respectively. Northwest High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Louisiana high schools, with a ranking between 179 and 265 out of 300+ schools over the past decade, and a current ranking of 193 out of 333 schools with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 57.17% to 67.87% over the past three school years, significantly higher than the surrounding schools, which range from 51.94% to 81.17%. Additionally, Northwest High School has a relatively high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 16.3 to 18.6 over the past three school years, higher than the surrounding schools. When compared to nearby schools, such as the Magnet Academy for Cultural Arts, Northwest High School generally performs worse academically, with lower proficiency rates and lower rankings. However, the data suggests that there may be opportunities for improvement, particularly in addressing the racial disparities in academic achievement.

Detail:

Public 9-12

3746 Hwy. 104
Opelousas, LA 70570

(337) 543-2255

District: St. Landry Parish

SchoolDigger Rank:
193^rd of 333 Louisiana High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,569

Feeder schools for Northwest High School:

Elementary:	Grand Prairie Elementary School
	Grolee Elementary School
	Lawtell Elementary School
Middle:	Plaisance Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.3

Number of students: 597

Racial breakdown:

African American:

70.9%

White:

23.1%

Hispanic:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 71.9%

See top rated Louisiana high schools

Compare Northwest High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Northwest High School ranks worse than 58% of high schools in Louisiana. It also ranks 4^th among 7 ranked high schools in the St. Landry Parish School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.08. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (70.9%), White (23.1%), Hispanic (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 71.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northwest High School is 14.3. 6 high schools in the St. Landry Parish School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Northwest High School employs 41.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northwest High School is $13,569, which is the 4^th highest among 7 high schools in the St. Landry Parish School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Northwest High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Northwest High School 193^rd of 333 Louisiana public high schools. (See Northwest High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

St. Landry Parish:

SchoolDigger ranks St. Landry Parish 47^th of 122 Louisiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Northwest High School

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Rank History for all students at Northwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2007	52.66	166^th	290	42.8%
2008	46.66	170^th	291	41.6%
2009	61.53	111^th	301	63.1%
2010	54.62	152^nd	297	48.8%
2011	48.37	192^nd	300	36.0%
2012	37.34	234^th	310	24.5%
2013	41.62	233^rd	312	25.3%
2014	24.63	265^th	309	14.2%
2015	32.23	256^th	312	17.9%
2016	51.76	180^th	297	39.4%
2017	50.34	189^th	297	36.4%
2018	40.74	197^th	302	34.8%
2019	46.79	179^th	313	42.8%
2021	28.51	230^th	322	28.6%
2022	35.89	208^th	326	36.2%
2023	35.54	212^th	321	34.0%
2024	44.08	193^rd	333	42.0%

See the entire list of Louisiana High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Northwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	20.09	100^th	122	18.0%
2021	9.33	135^th	135	0.0%
2022	29.30	96^th	139	30.9%
2023	52.44	55^th	138	60.1%
2024	39.73	98^th	165	40.6%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	48.83	161^st	301	46.5%
2021	37.59	185^th	285	35.1%
2022	36.14	205^th	322	36.3%
2023	36.23	214^th	321	33.3%
2024	50.24	164^th	328	50.0%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Northwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	53.54	146^th	292	50.0%
2021	35.26	196^th	288	31.9%
2022	48.06	170^th	311	45.3%
2023	37.70	206^th	308	33.1%
2024	46.84	174^th	308	43.5%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Northwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	39.82	188^th	291	35.4%
2021	38.21	188^th	292	35.6%
2022	29.28	213^th	301	29.2%
2023	36.98	199^th	306	35.0%
2024	42.39	182^nd	315	42.2%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Northwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	55.97	83^rd	233	64.4%
2021	40.46	134^th	243	44.9%
2022	56.33	93^rd	256	63.7%
2023	55.99	96^th	252	61.9%
2024	52.50	113^th	260	56.5%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Northwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	52.18	119^th	249	52.2%
2021	38.67	166^th	245	32.2%
2022	39.58	165^th	250	34.0%
2023	16.94	231^st	249	7.2%
2024	40.53	158^th	248	36.3%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Louisiana Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Louisiana Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Northwest High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1992	163	363	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	526
1993	204	386	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	590
1994	232	392	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	624
1995	241	383	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	624
1996	241	383	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	624
1997	246	343	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	590
1998	218	377	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	595
1999	192	332	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	525
2000	189	339	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	528
2001	167	325	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	492
2002	177	323	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	501
2003	177	323	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	501
2004	171	325	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	498
2005	156	302	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	459
2006	128	304	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	433
2007	133	287	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	421
2008	150	281	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	432
2009	161	257	3	5	0	n/a	n/a	426
2010	140	331	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	479
2011	164	324	0	8	0	0	0	496
2012	165	346	2	9	1	0	0	523
2013	176	380	1	9	1	0	0	567
2014	176	406	1	6	1	0	0	590
2015	167	397	1	6	3	0	1	575
2016	154	388	0	6	3	0	1	552
2017	148	411	1	10	1	0	0	571
2018	152	446	1	10	1	0	0	610
2019	166	448	1	8	3	0	4	630
2020	172	431	1	16	2	0	1	623
2021	144	447	0	18	3	0	2	614
2022	135	411	0	20	1	0	1	568
2023	148	405	0	23	2	0	4	582
2024	138	423	0	31	1	0	4	597

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Northwest High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	526	26.0	20.2	67.5
1993	590	32.0	18.4	61
1994	624	33.0	18.9	64.4
1995	624	34.0	18.4	59.6
1996	624	34.0	18.4	59.6
1997	590	35.0	16.9	55.9
1998	595	37.0	16.1	61
1999	525	35.0	15.0	69.5
2000	528	35.5	14.9	75
2001	492	33.5	14.7	76.4
2002	501	31.0	16.2	72.7
2003	501	31.0	16.2	72.7
2004	498	32.2	15.5	65.1
2005	459	31.1	14.8	69.3
2006	433	28.0	15.5	67.4
2007	421	30.3	13.9	77.9
2008	432	29.5	14.6	72.5
2009	426	33.0	12.9	67.8
2010	479	34.0	14.0	72.9
2011	496	34.7	14.2	79.6
2012	523	30.0	17.4	72.8
2013	567	31.8	17.7	77.8
2014	590	29.0	20.3	73.9
2015	575	9.0	63.8	77.6
2016	552	6.0	92.0	70.3
2017	571	29.1	19.5	81.3
2018	610	32.4	18.8	41.6
2019	630	33.0	19.0	49.4
2020	623	35.0	17.8	54.6
2021	614	33.0	18.6	57.2
2022	568	34.0	16.7	59.3
2023	582	35.5	16.3	67.9
2024	597	41.6	14.3	71.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Northwest High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	526	26.0	20.2	67.5
1993	590	32.0	18.4	61
1994	624	33.0	18.9	64.4
1995	624	34.0	18.4	59.6
1996	624	34.0	18.4	59.6
1997	590	35.0	16.9	55.9
1998	595	37.0	16.1	61
1999	525	35.0	15.0	69.5
2000	528	35.5	14.9	75
2001	492	33.5	14.7	76.4
2002	501	31.0	16.2	72.7
2003	501	31.0	16.2	72.7
2004	498	32.2	15.5	65.1
2005	459	31.1	14.8	69.3
2006	433	28.0	15.5	67.4
2007	421	30.3	13.9	77.9
2008	432	29.5	14.6	72.5
2009	426	33.0	12.9	67.8
2010	479	34.0	14.0	72.9
2011	496	34.7	14.2	79.6
2012	523	30.0	17.4	72.8
2013	567	31.8	17.7	77.8
2014	590	29.0	20.3	73.9
2015	575	9.0	63.8	77.6
2016	552	6.0	92.0	70.3
2017	571	29.1	19.5	81.3
2018	610	32.4	18.8	41.6
2019	630	33.0	19.0	49.4
2020	623	35.0	17.8	54.6
2021	614	33.0	18.6	57.2
2022	568	34.0	16.7	59.3
2023	582	35.5	16.3	67.9
2024	597	41.6	14.3	71.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Northwest High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$8,752
2018	$8,778
2019	$9,216
2020	$10,449
2021	$11,828
2022	$13,569

Data source: Louisiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Northwest High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 179^th of 313 High schools	Ranks 212^th of 321 High schools	8.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Algebra I (Northwest High School)	66	63	3%
End of Course Algebra I (St. Landry Parish)	69	58	11%
End of Course Algebra I (Louisiana)	67	64	3%
End of Course Geometry (Northwest High School)	74	57	17%
End of Course Geometry (Louisiana)	68	61	7%
End of Course English II (Northwest High School)	52	56	4%
End of Course English II (St. Landry Parish)	62	61	1%
End of Course English II (Louisiana)	69	67	2%
End of Course U.S. History (Northwest High School)	57	34	23%
End of Course U.S. History (St. Landry Parish)	60	41	19%
End of Course U.S. History (Louisiana)	59	54	5%
End of Course English I (Northwest High School)	70	58	12%
End of Course English I (St. Landry Parish)	74	67	7%
End of Course English I (Louisiana)	71	67	4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	630	582	7.6%
African American	448	405	9.6%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	8	23	187.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	166	148	10.8%
Two or More Races	4	4
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	49.4%	67.9%	18.5%

Schools Near Northwest High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				LEAP Mathematics (2024)			LEAP English Language Arts (2024)			LEAP Algebra I (2024)	LEAP Geometry (2024)	LEAP English II (2024)	LEAP U.S. History (2024)	LEAP English I (2024)	LEAP Biology (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	LEAP Mathematics 7th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 8th Grade	LEAP Mathematics All Grades	LEAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts All Grades	LEAP Algebra I End of Course	LEAP Geometry End of Course	LEAP English II End of Course	LEAP U.S. History End of Course	LEAP English I End of Course	LEAP Biology End of Course	Total
Northwest High School	Public	9-12	3746 Hwy. 104	Opelousas	70570	St. Landry Parish	St. Landry Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 543-2255	597	42	14.3	71.9%	138 (23.1%)	423 (70.9%)	31 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	44.1	193^rd of 333 public high schools	42.0%		35.5	212^th of 321 public high schools	34.0%	19							58.0	54.0	50.0	49.0	74.0	61.0	$13,569
Magnet Academy for Cultural Arts	Public	7-12	1100 E Leo Street	Opelousas	70570	St. Landry Parish	St. Landry Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 942-6195	295	26	11.2	61.0%	122 (41.4%)	152 (51.5%)	11 (3.7%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	92.7	11^th of 333 public high schools	96.7%		93.7	4^th of 321 public high schools	98.8%	7		92.0	88.0	92.0	100.0			94.0		90.0	89.0	95.0	$16,795
Washington Career & Technical Education Center	Public	9-12	605 Buhot Street	Washington	70589	St. Landry Parish	St. Landry Parish	No	No	No	No	(337) 826-7360	0	14	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Opelousas Senior High School	Public	9-12	1014 Judson Walsh Drive	Opelousas	70570	St. Landry Parish	St. Landry Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 942-5634	772	55	13.9	80.2%	48 (6.2%)	682 (88.3%)	30 (3.9%)	4 (0.5%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	16.6	275^th of 333 public high schools	17.4%		13.7	271^st of 321 public high schools	15.6%	4							33.0	26.0	47.0		52.0	40.0	$11,495
Ville Platte High School	Public	8-12	210 West Cotton Street	Ville Platte	70586	Evangeline Parish	Evangeline Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 363-3387	526	41	12.8	78.3%	119 (22.6%)	374 (71.1%)	14 (2.7%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.1%)	31.8	229^th of 333 public high schools	31.2%		34.6	217^th of 321 public high schools	32.4%	12		13.0	13.0		42.0	42.0	54.0	48.0	52.0	52.0	53.0	44.0	$14,020
Church Point High School	Public	9-12	305 East Lougarre Street	Church Point	70525	Acadia Parish	Acadia Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 684-5472	535	32	16.6	62.2%	333 (62.2%)	128 (23.9%)	43 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.6%)	45.5	189^th of 333 public high schools	43.2%		47.6	180^th of 321 public high schools	43.9%	9							68.0	54.0	62.0	43.0	69.0	55.0	$11,751
Port Barre High School	Public	9-12	846 Saizan St.	Port Barre	70577	St. Landry Parish	St. Landry Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 585-7256	396	34	11.8	57.1%	294 (74.2%)	91 (23.0%)	7 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	55	159^th of 333 public high schools	52.3%		46.9	182^nd of 321 public high schools	43.3%	23							71.0	43.0	67.0	44.0	82.0	73.0	$15,564
Mamou High School	Public	9-12	1008 Seventh Street	Mamou	70554	Evangeline Parish	Evangeline Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 468-5793	451	25	17.8	64.5%	228 (50.6%)	187 (41.5%)	9 (2.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.5%)	56.9	146^th of 333 public high schools	56.2%		56.8	144^th of 321 public high schools	55.1%	2							61.0	79.0	61.0	63.0	66.0	61.0	$12,389
Eunice Career & Technical Education Center	Public	9-12	421 South 10th Street	Eunice	70535	St. Landry Parish	St. Landry Parish	No	No	No	No	(337) 457-8686	0	8	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
North Central High School	Public	7-12	6579 Hwy. 10	Washington	70589	St. Landry Parish	St. Landry Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 623-4239	264	43	6.1	83.0%	46 (17.4%)	213 (80.7%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	27.9	244^th of 333 public high schools	26.7%		13.1	272^nd of 321 public high schools	15.3%	28	36.0	21.0	28.0	70.0	56.0	62.0	26.0		53.0	42.0	72.0	40.0	$26,301

Northwest High School

Northwest High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

St. Landry Parish:

What do you think?

Rank History for Northwest High School

Rank History for all students at Northwest High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Northwest High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northwest High School

Rank History for Female students at Northwest High School

Rank History for Male students at Northwest High School

Rank History for African American students at Northwest High School

Rank History for White students at Northwest High School

Enrollment information for Northwest High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Northwest High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Northwest High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Northwest High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Northwest High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Northwest High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest High School

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