Summary:
Welsh, Louisiana is home to a single high school, Welsh High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 with a total enrollment of 263 students as part of the Jefferson Davis Parish school district.
Welsh High School presents a compelling paradox for parents. On one hand, the school demonstrates strong academic performance, consistently outperforming its district in nearly every subject. In the most recent LEAP testing, the school posted proficiency rates of 76% in Algebra I, 72% in Geometry, and 74% in English I, all well above state averages. The school also boasts an impressive 92.8% graduation rate and a 0% dropout rate, with a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.5:1. However, the school's most significant challenge is a chronic absenteeism rate of 37%, which is 1.5 times higher than the district average and 1.6 times higher than the state average. This suggests that while attending students achieve excellent results, a large portion of the student body is disengaged. Additionally, U.S. History is a clear weakness, with a proficiency rate of just 42%, which falls below both the district and state averages.
Despite strong test scores, the school's state ranking has slipped from the 69th percentile to the 62nd percentile over three years, indicating that other schools in Louisiana are improving at a faster pace. Welsh High School remains a standout within its district, outperforming the Jefferson Davis Parish average in 5 out of 6 tested subjects, often by wide margins. For parents, the school offers a strong academic foundation for students who attend regularly, but the high absenteeism rate is a critical factor to consider when evaluating the overall school environment.
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