Summary:
Bienville Parish, Louisiana, is home to two high schools—Arcadia High School and Ringgold High School—both serving grades 6 through 12 in a rural area where the district, Bienville Parish, ranks in the 66th percentile statewide with a 3-star rating.
Arcadia High School stands out as the stronger performer across nearly all academic measures. In the 2025-2026 school year, Arcadia achieved 65% proficiency in math and 72% in English Language Arts, compared to Ringgold’s 30% and 53%, respectively. Arcadia also holds a higher state ranking (200th out of 325 schools, 2 stars) versus Ringgold (286th, 1 star), and has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (25.3% vs. 32.9%). Both schools face significant poverty challenges, with 87.9% of Arcadia students and 79% of Ringgold students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. However, Arcadia’s smaller student-teacher ratio (7.8:1) and more stable performance suggest stronger school-level factors at play.
Ringgold High School shows clear areas of concern, particularly in Algebra I, where only 15% of students were proficient—far below the district average of 63%. Its graduation rate (90.9%) is above the state average (85%), yet this masks low academic proficiency, raising questions about college and career readiness. Chronic absenteeism at Ringgold is nearly 10 points above the state average, a likely driver of its declining performance. For parents, Arcadia offers a more consistent educational environment, while Ringgold may require extra attention to attendance and foundational math skills. The district’s focus on replicating Arcadia’s strategies could help improve outcomes at Ringgold.
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