Summary:
The city of Ferriday, Louisiana, is served by two elementary schools within the Concordia Parish school district: Ferriday Lower Elementary School (serving Pre-K through 2nd grade) and Ferriday Upper Elementary School (serving 3rd through 5th grade), which together educate 555 students in a community facing significant economic challenges, with over 93% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
The most striking difference between the two schools is their chronic absenteeism rates. Ferriday Upper Elementary School has a notably low chronic absenteeism rate of 12.9%, which is well below both the district average (18.9%) and the state average (22.5%). In contrast, Ferriday Lower Elementary School has a much higher rate of 23.4%, nearly double that of its upper-grade counterpart. This is an important finding because chronic absenteeism in early grades can be a strong predictor of future academic difficulty. Both schools maintain favorable student-teacher ratios (13.6:1 at Lower Elementary and 12.4:1 at Upper Elementary), which suggests potential for more individualized attention.
Academically, Ferriday Upper Elementary School shows a mixed picture. While its overall state ranking has declined from the 23rd percentile to the 10th percentile over three years, there is a clear bright spot: 4th-grade mathematics proficiency is 68%, outperforming both the district (64%) and state (67%) averages. This success stands in contrast to 3rd-grade math, where only 25% of students are proficient. Overall, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (42%) and Social Studies (27%) lag behind district and state averages. The data suggests that school-level factors, such as effective instruction and a supportive environment, can make a tangible difference even in the face of high poverty, as demonstrated by the Upper Elementary's strong attendance and specific academic successes.
Thank you for your feedback!