Summary
Bolton Academy in Alexandria, LA, is a public school serving 372 students in grades 6-12 within the Rapides Parish school district, and it has achieved one of the most dramatic academic turnarounds in the state, now ranking 5th out of 325 Louisiana high schools (98th percentile, 5 stars) after years of being a 1-star school.
Bolton Academy's academic performance is now exceptional across the board. In the 2025-2026 school year, the school boasts a 99% proficiency rate in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, far exceeding nearby schools like Buckeye High School (85% ELA, 78% Math) and Pineville High School (82% ELA, 72% Math). End-of-course exam results are equally impressive, with 99% proficiency in English I and 96% in Biology, compared to the next best nearby schools at 81% and 74%, respectively. The school also has a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of 8.2%, less than half the district average of 17.5%, and a student-teacher ratio of 10.1—the lowest among all comparable schools—suggesting a highly engaged student body and personalized learning environment.
Despite these stellar test scores, Bolton Academy presents a notable paradox: its 2024-2025 graduation rate was only 65.6%, far below the district (87.9%) and state (85.0%) averages, with a high dropout rate of 12.2% in 2023-2024. This contrasts sharply with Peabody Magnet High School, located just 1.16 miles away and serving a similar demographic, which ranks 287th (12th percentile) in the state. Bolton's success appears to be driven by internal practices and culture rather than community factors, as it achieves exceptional results across all student subgroups, ranking in the 98th percentile for African American, White, Male, and Female students, and the 97th percentile for Low Socio-Economic Status students.
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