Original Research by School Decision on Deridder High School
DeRidder High School serves students in eighth through twelfth grade and is the sole public high school in the Beauregard Parish school system. The school is located in the parish seat of DeRidder, a small city that grew from the timber industry and today anchors the DeRidder-Fort Polk South combined statistical area. Fort Polk sits a short drive north of town and is a major regional employer, while the city itself has a historic downtown commercial district listed on the National Register of Historic Places, where festivals, a farmers’ market, and civic life are concentrated. DeRidder’s population has been declining modestly in recent years, and the city has stated goals of supporting affordable housing and preserving its historic character.
The high school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with Black students making up roughly a quarter of the population and Hispanic students about one-eighth. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many families in the community face economic challenges. The school is one of two high schools in the parish, the other being South Beauregard High School.
No state assessment results were available for DeRidder High School in the data provided. Because the comparison set covering districts in Beauregard Parish includes only one district, there is no basis to position the school’s academic performance relative to nearby districts. This means a reader cannot evaluate the school’s proficiency levels or graduation rate from the data here. The absence of test scores is often due to the grade band a school serves, but eighth through twelfth grade is typically tested in Louisiana; a parent may want to ask the school directly for its most recent state accountability results.
The school does have a meaningful recent development in career and technical education. In 2023, the Beauregard Parish School Board approved new CTE programs at DeRidder High School, adding pathways in healthcare, welding, and information technology. These programs are designed to prepare students for high-demand regional careers and represent a concrete effort to expand options for students who may not be headed directly to a four-year college. This is a tangible strength for families who want a high school that offers skills-based training alongside traditional academics.
The broader district context is stable from a funding standpoint. In 2022, voters renewed longstanding school tax measures, including a property tax and a sales tax that together generate substantial annual revenue for school operations and salaries. These were renewals, not new taxes, and they ensure continued resources for the district.
For housing, the local market is relatively affordable compared to national benchmarks. Home values in the area are lower than the national median, and rents are modest relative to income. The typical monthly rent is a manageable share of the median household income. Home values have softened slightly recently, but the overall picture is one of attainable housing in a small town.
Civic life in DeRidder centers on its downtown historic district, parks, the Beauregard Museum, and the War Memorial Civic Center. The Beauregard Parish Courthouse anchors the town center. There is no mention of public transit in the material available, and the city’s layout, with U.S. highways as main arteries, makes driving the practical way to get around.
DeRidder High School fits a family looking for a single, traditional public high school in a small parish seat with a historic downtown and a relatively affordable housing market. The new CTE pathways are a clear offering for students interested in trades, healthcare, or technology careers. The lack of state assessment data in this profile is a gap that a prospective family will want to close by contacting the school or reviewing its report card from the Louisiana Department of Education.
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