Summary:
The city of Bastrop, Louisiana, is served by four schools within the Morehouse Parish school district, which holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 49th percentile statewide, offering a mix of traditional elementary and high schools alongside two alternative schools that serve as the district's top performers.
The standout school in Bastrop is Morehouse Magnet School, an alternative school that achieves extraordinary academic results despite serving a high-poverty population (72% free/reduced lunch). It posted 100% proficiency in several subjects like 6th and 7th Grade Math and Algebra I, outperforming state averages by 30-70 percentage points. In contrast, Morehouse Elementary School struggles significantly, with only 7% math proficiency and a 0th percentile state ranking for three consecutive years. Beekman Charter School is the district's most consistent performer, boasting the highest graduation rate (89.7%), lowest dropout rate (0.8%), and the lowest poverty rate (59.54%). Bastrop High School faces critical challenges with very low academic proficiency (8% math, 25% ELA) and the highest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at 44.2%, nearly double the state average.
Key metrics reveal a district of extremes: chronic absenteeism is not simply tied to poverty, as Morehouse Elementary has the highest poverty rate (89.59%) but a low absenteeism rate (13.1%), while Bastrop High has high poverty and high absenteeism. Student-teacher ratios are low across all schools, ranging from 11.8:1 at Morehouse Magnet to 15.3:1 at Beekman Charter. The "alternative" school paradox is striking—both alternative schools outperform traditional ones, suggesting effective educational models that defy typical expectations. For parents, this means school choice in Bastrop dramatically impacts a child's educational outcome, with Morehouse Magnet offering elite performance and Beekman Charter providing consistent, well-rounded success.
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