Summary:
The city of Kaplan, Louisiana, is served by three public schools within the highly-ranked Vermilion Parish school district, which sits in the 88th percentile statewide, offering education from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade across Kaplan Elementary School (PK-4), Rene A. Rost Middle School (4-8), and Kaplan High School (9-12).
Kaplan High School is the standout performer, consistently earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the top 20% of Louisiana high schools. It outperforms district and state averages on every End-of-Course exam, including English I (85% proficient) and Algebra I (79% proficient), while maintaining a very low dropout rate of just 0.7%. This success is particularly impressive given that over half of its students are economically disadvantaged. Kaplan Elementary is also a strong school, showing remarkable growth by jumping from a 3-star to a 4-star rating in just two years, now ranking in the 85th percentile. Its 4th-grade math proficiency rate of 91% is exceptionally high. In contrast, Rene A. Rost Middle School struggles, earning a 3-star rating and ranking in the 67th percentile. It faces significant challenges with a 42.3% chronic absenteeism rate—nearly double the state average—and critically low Social Studies proficiency, with only 34% of 5th graders meeting standards.
A key takeaway is the clear "middle school slump," where academic performance dips between the strong elementary and high schools. Chronic absenteeism is a systemic crisis across all three schools, rising from 32.5% at the elementary level to 37.5% at the high school and peaking at 42.3% in middle school, which likely contributes to the middle school's lower scores. While the district overall is a strong performer, targeted support for Rene A. Rost Middle School is needed to address its attendance and Social Studies challenges, ensuring all Kaplan students benefit equally from the district's high standards.
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