Rapides High School, Lecompte LA

Original Research by School Decision on Rapides High School

Rapides High School is a regular public high school serving grades nine through twelve in Lecompte, a very small rural town in central Louisiana. It operates under the Rapides Parish school district. The school sits along a highway corridor that functions as the town's main street, in an area that has seen long-term population decline and limited economic growth.

Lecompte is a low-income community with a high poverty rate. The town is best known for a legendary roadside diner and bills itself the pie capital of the state, but beyond that narrow commercial strip there is little development. Most residents who work likely commute to nearby Alexandria. The town has no public parks, library branch, or transit system. The student body at the high school is small for a school serving all four high school grades. A large majority of students come from low-income households based on free or reduced-price meal eligibility. The racial makeup is diverse, with White students forming the largest share, followed by substantial populations of Hispanic and Black students, and small numbers from other groups.

The academic data available is limited and dated. The most recent state assessment results come from several years ago and cover only grade eight, meaning they predate the high school years for most current students. In those tests, the proportion of students reaching proficiency was low in math, English, science, and social studies. No trend data exists to show whether performance has improved or declined since then. Because the data is old and from a different grade level, a parent would want to ask the school for current high school test results, or any school-level accountability ratings that Louisiana may publish. No comparison to other schools in the parish was possible; the available county-level comparison set contained only one district, so there is no basis to say where this school stands relative to its neighbors.

No information was provided about course offerings such as Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, or career and technical education pathways. Staffing ratios, teacher qualifications, and student discipline data were also absent. Graduation rate and chronic absenteeism figures were not available. These are meaningful gaps for a family trying to assess the school's full academic picture.

The school is a regular public high school, not a charter or magnet. Its Title I status was not reported, which may be relevant for understanding whether it receives federal funds for low-income students. The district itself has seen no major publicly reported changes in recent years.

Rapides High School serves a rural community with significant economic hardship. The available academic snapshot is dated and shows challenges. Families considering this school should seek up-to-date performance information directly from the school, ask about program offerings and support services, and visit to get a sense of the environment and fit for their student.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

85-89%Cohort of 61 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

355 schools plotted. 10 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 815%

School 15% · district not reported

even with state median

English language arts

Grade 820%

School 20% · district not reported

▼ 7 pts below state median

Science

Grade 816%

School 16% · district not reported

▲ 1 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 810%

School 10% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median

This schoolRapides Parish, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income22%Higher-income100%78 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income20%Higher-income22%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income15%Higher-income67%52 pp gap