N.S.U. Middle Lab School

N.S.U. Middle Lab School is a small junior high in Natchitoches, Louisiana, one of the schools within Natchitoches Parish. The school educates 178 students in grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 440 students per school, that is 60% leaner than typical.

Natchitoches Parish comprises 13 schools with combined enrollment of 4,792 students; N.S.U. Middle Lab School is among them.

On demographics, N.S.U. Middle Lab School records that White students make up the majority at 70%; the rest reads as 19% Black, 5% Hispanic, 4% multiracial. By comparison, Natchitoches Parish as a whole is about 51% White, so the school skews visibly more White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, On paper, N.S.U. Middle Lab School has 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.5:1. The state averages around 41.0:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 43% of students at N.S.U. Middle Lab School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is below Natchitoches Parish's rate of about 84%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, N.S.U. Middle Lab School ranks in the top 10% of Louisiana public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 53.2%; N.S.U. Middle Lab School posts 69.2%, +15.9 points above that line.

In the broader community, census data for Natchitoches Parish shows the typical household earns roughly $46,292 per year, 26% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 18%. In all, Natchitoches Parish runs 15 public schools (combined enrollment of about 5,064 students), of which N.S.U. Middle Lab School is one.

The closest other public school is Natchitoches Central High School, roughly 0.5 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 5 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), N.S.U. Middle Lab School ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 38.6%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at N.S.U. Middle Lab School has remained close to its prior level, going from 176 students in 2018 to 178 in 2025. The Black share of enrollment edged up from 14% to 19% over that span. Class-load math has tightened: from 17.6:1 in 2018 to 13.5:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the feed for N.S.U. Middle Lab School typically covers classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.