Best Public Schools in Alexandria, LA

The city of Alexandria, Louisiana, is served by 22 schools across the Rapides Parish and Special School District, offering a mix of elementary, middle, high, and alternative programs for approximately 9,904 students. The district overall performs well, ranking in the 76th percentile in Louisiana, but this masks a wide gap between its top and bottom schools. The standout performers are Phoenix Magnet Elementary School, ranked 9th in the state (99th percentile), and Bolton Academy, which jumped to a 5-star rating and ranks 5th among high schools. At the other end, Peabody Magnet High School (12th percentile) and Martin Park Elementary School (5th percentile) struggle significantly with low test scores and high poverty rates.

Key metrics reveal that chronic absenteeism is a powerful differentiator. The city average is about 17.5%, but top schools like Poland Junior High School (2.1% absenteeism) and Phoenix Magnet (6.0%) have rates under 10%, while struggling schools like L.S. Rugg Elementary School (42.0%) and D.F. Huddle Elementary (33.8%) face much higher challenges. Graduation rates also vary widely, with Alexandria Senior High School posting a strong 92.0% rate, while Bolton Academy’s 65.6% rate suggests it serves a specialized student body despite its top test scores. The three traditional middle schools—Scott M. Brame Middle School, Alexandria Middle Magnet School, and Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School—all perform below the district average, indicating a common "middle school slump."

Interesting takeaways include the success of Poland Junior High School, which achieves high performance (90th percentile) despite a 79.7% free/reduced lunch rate, defying the trend seen elsewhere. Montessori schools also show mixed results: Peabody Montessori Elementary School thrives (86th percentile), while Mabel Brasher Montessori struggles (13th percentile), highlighting that teaching method alone doesn't guarantee success. The alternative schools—Rapides Training Academy, Central Louisiana Supports and Services Center, and Renaissance Home for Youth—serve specialized populations with very low student-teacher ratios, offering intensive support not comparable to traditional schools.