Is Lafayette High a good school?

Lafayette High ranks in the bottom 14.0% of Missouri high schools.

How many students attend Lafayette High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 680 students attended Lafayette High.

What is the racial makeup of Lafayette High?

Students at Lafayette High are 65% White, 12% Two or more races, 12% Hispanic, 8% African American, 2% Pacific Islander, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Lafayette High?

Lafayette High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Lindbergh Elementary Elementary : Pershing Elementary Middle : Robidoux Middle

Lafayette High

Summary:

Lafayette High is a public high school located in Saint Joseph, Missouri, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 717 students. The school is part of the St. Joseph School District, which is ranked 234 out of 386 districts in Missouri and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Lafayette High has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Missouri high schools over the past several years, with its ranking dropping from 101 out of 521 schools in 2013-2014 to 325 out of 378 schools in the current 2023-2024 school year. The school maintains a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger and has particularly concerning performance for certain student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and special education students, who are significantly underperforming compared to their peers. Lafayette High's academic proficiency rates, as measured by Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests, are also significantly below state and district averages, with only 9.7% of students proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to 24.9% in the St. Joseph district and 41.5% statewide.

The data also reveals that Lafayette High has consistently struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.7% to 40.6% over the past few school years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school serves a predominantly low-income student population, with 99.58% to 99.61% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. While Lafayette High is struggling, the nearby Benton High and Central High schools within the same district also perform below state averages on many metrics, suggesting that the challenges facing Lafayette High may be systemic issues within the broader St. Joseph School District.

Detail:

Public 9-12

412 Highland Ave
Saint Joseph, MO 64505-1809

(816) 671-4220

District: St. Joseph

SchoolDigger Rank:
325^th of 378 Missouri High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,914

Feeder schools for Lafayette High:

Elementary:	Lindbergh Elementary
	Pershing Elementary
Middle:	Robidoux Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 680

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.9%

Two or more races:

11.9%

Hispanic:

11.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Missouri high schools

Compare Lafayette High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Lafayette High ranks worse than 86% of high schools in Missouri. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the St. Joseph School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.56. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Lafayette High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (64.9%), two or more races (11.9%), Hispanic (11.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the St. Joseph School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lafayette High is 13.4, which is the 2^nd best among 3 high schools in the St. Joseph School District. (See more...)

Compare Lafayette High employs 50.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lafayette High is $12,914, which is the highest among 4 high schools in the St. Joseph School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lafayette High:

SchoolDigger ranks Lafayette High 325^th of 378 Missouri public high schools. (See Lafayette High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

St. Joseph:

SchoolDigger ranks St. Joseph 234^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Lafayette High?

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Rank History for Lafayette High

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Rank History for all students at Lafayette High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	49.73	289^th	534	45.9%
2007	39.94	373^rd	538	30.7%
2008	42.53	351^st	539	34.9%
2009	9.12	479^th	507	5.5%
2010	14.29	479^th	516	7.2%
2011	14.74	484^th	528	8.3%
2012	53.02	228^th	522	56.3%
2013	48.73	269^th	523	48.6%
2014	65.94	101^st	521	80.6%
2015	56.64	204^th	504	59.5%
2016	47.11	212^th	401	47.1%
2017	65.22	124^th	404	69.3%
2018	27.56	368^th	468	21.4%
2019	28.92	352^nd	460	23.5%
2021	26.46	260^th	358	27.4%
2022	20.69	289^th	361	19.9%
2023	12.98	315^th	352	10.5%
2024	15.56	325^th	378	14.0%

See the entire list of Missouri High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Lafayette High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	13.08	28^th	28	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Lafayette High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	16.94	120^th	127	5.5%
2024	37.07	91^st	135	32.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lafayette High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	28.17	305^th	382	20.2%
2019	32.57	269^th	368	26.9%
2021	48.37	110^th	255	56.9%
2022	34.76	170^th	250	32.0%
2023	24.09	221^st	268	17.5%
2024	34.31	189^th	274	31.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Lafayette High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	28.91	77^th	95	18.9%
2019	32.06	73^rd	103	29.1%
2021	9.64	126^th	129	2.3%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for African American students at Lafayette High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	63.28	28^th	111	74.8%
2023	22.44	88^th	99	11.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lafayette High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2021	12.71	40^th	40	0.0%
2023	28.88	48^th	64	25.0%
2024	15.33	65^th	70	7.1%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Lafayette High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	24.46	361^st	440	18.0%
2019	28.94	327^th	430	24.0%
2021	23.99	244^th	309	21.0%
2022	20.27	260^th	310	16.1%
2023	11.85	287^th	302	5.0%
2024	10.07	305^th	321	5.0%

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

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Lafayette High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	855	855
1992	837	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	837
1993	803	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	803
1994	815	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	815
1995	789	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	789
1996	789	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	789
1997	756	46	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	805
1998	792	48	0	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	852
1999	810	37	1	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	866
2000	745	48	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	805
2001	717	57	1	8	4	n/a	n/a	0	787
2002	793	84	3	22	3	n/a	n/a	0	905
2003	793	84	3	22	3	n/a	n/a	0	905
2004	762	68	5	15	5	n/a	n/a	0	855
2005	694	83	2	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	793
2006	700	93	2	13	3	n/a	n/a	0	811
2007	665	84	1	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	771
2008	685	89	0	28	0	n/a	n/a	0	802
2009	644	78	1	26	1	n/a	n/a	0	750
2010	694	112	1	40	2	n/a	n/a	0	849
2011	740	95	2	50	2	0	0	0	889
2012	698	107	2	54	2	0	3	0	866
2013	668	105	4	50	1	1	10	0	839
2014	658	105	4	51	1	6	7	0	832
2015	649	119	6	42	3	6	24	0	849
2016	604	99	3	46	3	2	27	0	784
2017	609	99	2	51	3	5	37	0	806
2018	579	91	3	46	3	11	35	0	768
2019	566	91	2	53	4	12	47	0	775
2020	540	83	3	59	2	11	49	0	747
2021	541	82	5	79	3	6	59	0	775
2022	499	68	9	70	2	7	71	0	726
2023	482	57	9	78	2	8	81	0	717
2024	441	57	7	80	3	11	81	0	680

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 Lafayette High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	855	51.5	16.6	26.7
1992	837	48.5	17.2	22.5
1993	803	47.3	17.0	28
1994	815	48.1	16.9	27.7
1995	789	49.3	16.0	37.3
1996	789	49.3	16.0	37.3
1997	805	49.6	16.2	39
1998	852	51.1	16.7	28.8
1999	866	49.8	17.4	42.5
2000	805	52.1	15.5	39.8
2001	787	50.1	15.7	44.1
2002	905	51.3	17.6	47.2
2003	905	51.3	17.6	47.2
2004	855	48.6	17.6	52.2
2005	793	51.9	15.3	56
2006	811	57.1	14.2	52.5
2007	771	56.6	13.6	51.8
2008	802	56.0	14.3	52
2009	750	54.0	13.9	58.7
2010	849	53.3	15.9	60.7
2011	889	54.5	16.3	61.4
2012	866	54.1	15.9	61.4
2013	839	54.5	15.3	62.1
2014	832	53.1	15.6	69.4
2015	849	55.0	15.4	69.6
2016	784	54.0	14.5	57.9
2017	806	54.4	14.7	68.6
2018	768	56.4	13.6	73.8
2019	775	45.9	16.8	62.2
2020	747	50.3	14.8	73.6
2021	775	48.7	15.8	99.6
2022	726	47.3	15.3	99.6
2023	717	52.0	13.7	99.6
2024	680	50.4	13.4	100

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 Lafayette High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	855	51.5	16.6	26.7
1992	837	48.5	17.2	22.5
1993	803	47.3	17.0	28
1994	815	48.1	16.9	27.7
1995	789	49.3	16.0	37.3
1996	789	49.3	16.0	37.3
1997	805	49.6	16.2	39
1998	852	51.1	16.7	28.8
1999	866	49.8	17.4	42.5
2000	805	52.1	15.5	39.8
2001	787	50.1	15.7	44.1
2002	905	51.3	17.6	47.2
2003	905	51.3	17.6	47.2
2004	855	48.6	17.6	52.2
2005	793	51.9	15.3	56
2006	811	57.1	14.2	52.5
2007	771	56.6	13.6	51.8
2008	802	56.0	14.3	52
2009	750	54.0	13.9	58.7
2010	849	53.3	15.9	60.7
2011	889	54.5	16.3	61.4
2012	866	54.1	15.9	61.4
2013	839	54.5	15.3	62.1
2014	832	53.1	15.6	69.4
2015	849	55.0	15.4	69.6
2016	784	54.0	14.5	57.9
2017	806	54.4	14.7	68.6
2018	768	56.4	13.6	73.8
2019	775	45.9	16.8	62.2
2020	747	50.3	14.8	73.6
2021	775	48.7	15.8	99.6
2022	726	47.3	15.3	99.6
2023	717	52.0	13.7	99.6
2024	680	50.4	13.4	100

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 Lafayette High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$270 (2.4%)	$11,046 (97.6%)	$11,317
2020	$321 (2.7%)	$11,447 (97.3%)	$11,768
2021	$1,082 (8.6%)	$11,480 (91.4%)	$12,562
2022	$781 (6.0%)	$12,133 (94.0%)	$12,914

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lafayette High

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 352^nd of 460 High schools	Ranks 315^th of 352 High schools	13%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Algebra I (Lafayette High)	27.6	8.7	18.9%
End of Course Algebra I (St. Joseph)	33.8	18.4	15.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Missouri)	45.3	41.5	3.8%
End of Course Biology I (Lafayette High)	21.8	17.3	4.5%
End of Course Biology I (St. Joseph)	30.7	25	5.7%
End of Course Biology I (Missouri)	39.2	38.5	0.7%
End of Course Algebra II (Lafayette High)	59.1	75	15.9%
End of Course Algebra II (St. Joseph)	66.5	54	12.5%
End of Course Algebra II (Missouri)	50	48.6	1.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	775	717	7.5%
African American	91	57	37.4%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	2	9	350%
Hispanic	53	78	47.2%
Pacific Islander	12	8	33.3%
White	566	482	14.8%
Two or More Races	47	81	72.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	62.2%	99.6%	37.4%

Schools Near Lafayette High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)	MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (2024)		MAP Algebra I (2024)	MAP Biology I (2024)	MAP English II (2024)	MAP Algebra II (2024)	MAP English I (2024)	MAP Geometry (2024)	MAP Government (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	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	MAP Algebra II End of Course	MAP English I End of Course	MAP Geometry End of Course	MAP Government End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lafayette High	Public	9-12	412 Highland Ave	Saint Joseph	64505	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4220	680	50	13.4	100.0%	441 (64.9%)	57 (8.4%)	80 (11.8%)	7 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	11 (1.6%)	81 (11.9%)	15.6	325^th of 378 public high schools	14.0%		13	315^th of 352 public high schools	10.5%	10					9.7	11.6	36.3					$12,914	$781	$12,133
Central High	Public	9-12	2602 Edmond	Saint Joseph	64501	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4080	1,720	110	15.5	35.8%	1,093 (63.5%)	131 (7.6%)	235 (13.7%)	51 (3.0%)	5 (0.3%)	41 (2.4%)	164 (9.5%)	34.6	236^th of 378 public high schools	37.6%		36.5	213^th of 352 public high schools	39.5%	23					17.8	24.6	42.4	77.0			36.4	$10,698	$355	$10,343
Western Recept/Diag Corr Centr	Public	7-12	3401 Faraon St	Saint Joseph	64506	Buchanan County	Department Of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(816) 387-2158	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Western Region Treatment Centr	Public	7-12	3401 Faraon St	Saint Joseph	64506	Buchanan County	Department Of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(816) 387-2158	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Hillyard Technical Center	Public	9-12	3434 Faraon	Saint Joseph	64506	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4170	0	22	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Benton High	Public	9-12	5655 S Fourth	Saint Joseph	64504	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4030	702	49	14.2	36.9%	521 (74.2%)	18 (2.6%)	104 (14.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	7 (1.0%)	49 (7.0%)	24.6	285^th of 378 public high schools	24.6%		12.9	317^th of 352 public high schools	9.9%	32					14.4	25.2		3.5			27.7	$12,597	$514	$12,083
Riverbend Treatment Center	Public	6-12	5910 Mitchell Ave	Saint Joseph	64507	Buchanan County	Division Of Youth Service	No	No	No	No	(816) 390-9801	20	5	4.0	85.0%	8 (40.0%)	9 (45.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (15.0%)								(n/a)
Mid-Buchanan Senior High	Public	7-12	3221 SE State Rte H	Faucett	64448	Buchanan County	Mid-Buchanan County R-V	No	No	No	No	(816) 238-1646	398	30	13.3	17.8%	382 (96.0%)	5 (1.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)								(n/a)	52.3	52.7	38.0	38.8	35.6							$10,711	$322	$10,389
Savannah High	Public	9-12	701 State Rte E	Savannah	64485	Andrew County	Savannah R-III	No	No	No	No	(816) 324-3128	734	46	15.8	27.1%	682 (92.9%)	11 (1.5%)	25 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (1.9%)	47.8	162^nd of 378 public high schools	57.1%		40.6	190^th of 352 public high schools	46.0%	28					35.8	31.0	54.8	26.1	69.5	38.2	38.0	$10,035	$445	$9,591
Dekalb Junior-Senior High	Public	7-12	702 Main St	De Kalb	64440	Buchanan County	Buchanan County R-IV	No	No	No	No	(816) 685-3211	127	16	8.1	28.3%	125 (98.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)								(n/a)					25.1							$15,539	$616	$14,924

Lafayette High

Lafayette High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

St. Joseph:

What do you think?

Rank History for Lafayette High

Rank History for all students at Lafayette High

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Lafayette High

Rank History for Special Education students at Lafayette High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lafayette High

Rank History for Disabled students at Lafayette High

Rank History for African American students at Lafayette High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lafayette High

Rank History for White students at Lafayette High

Enrollment information for Lafayette High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Lafayette High

Student/Teacher Ratio Lafayette High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Lafayette High

Impact of COVID-19 on Lafayette High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Lafayette High

Frequently Asked Questions about Lafayette High

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