Summary:
Port Sulphur, Louisiana, is served by a single public elementary school, South Plaquemines Elementary School, which educates 205 students from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade in the Plaquemines Parish school district.
South Plaquemines Elementary School presents a mixed picture of performance. The school has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.6:1, which can allow for more individualized attention, and 74% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high-poverty population. The school has held a 2-star rating for the past three years, though its state percentile rank has improved slightly from the 31st to the 41st percentile. Overall, the school's math proficiency (68%) exceeds the state average (62%), but its English language arts (62%) and social studies (41%) proficiency rates fall below state averages of 70% and 55%, respectively. A standout achievement is the 3rd-grade math proficiency rate of 93%, which is 31 points above the state average, though this drops sharply to 43% in 4th grade. The most concerning statistic is a chronic absenteeism rate of 35.4%, which is nearly double the district average of 19.6% and significantly higher than the state average of 22.5%.
While the Plaquemines Parish district is a high-performing, 4-star district ranked in the 80th percentile statewide, South Plaquemines Elementary School consistently underperforms district averages in nearly every metric. This disconnect suggests the school faces unique challenges not fully addressed by district resources. The school shows a clear strength in mathematics but a significant weakness in social studies, and the high chronic absenteeism rate is a major red flag for student engagement and learning continuity. The dramatic drop in math proficiency from 3rd to 4th grade is a critical area for investigation, as it may point to a specific cohort effect or a need for better instructional alignment between grade levels.
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