Schools in Welsh, LA

The city of Welsh, Louisiana, is served by two public schools within the Jefferson Davis Parish school district: Welsh Elementary School (grades PK-5) and Welsh High School (grades 9-12), with no standalone middle school in the city.

Welsh Elementary School is the standout performer, demonstrating exceptional academic growth and strong student engagement. Its mathematics proficiency rates are outstanding, with 85% of all students proficient and a remarkable 93% of 3rd graders meeting standards. The school has also shown rapid improvement, jumping from the 56th to the 72nd percentile in state rankings over three years. Chronic absenteeism is low at 16.4%, well below district and state averages. In contrast, Welsh High School presents a mixed picture: it boasts a very high graduation rate of 92.8% and a 0.0% dropout rate, with strong performance in Algebra I (76% proficient) and English I (74% proficient). However, the high school struggles with a severe chronic absenteeism rate of 37.0% and a notable weakness in U.S. History, where only 42% of students are proficient, significantly below the state average.

The most striking finding is the dramatic contrast in attendance between the two schools, suggesting that challenges intensify as students enter adolescence. The absence of a local middle school means students must transition to a different school for grades 6-8 before entering Welsh High School, which may contribute to this shift. While the high school remains a stable institution, the elementary school is clearly the rising star, building a strong academic foundation that could benefit the entire district for years to come.