Bossier Parish

The Bossier Parish school district in Louisiana serves 33 public schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools, and is ranked 37th out of 116 districts in the state, earning a solid 3-star rating. The district shows a clear divide in performance, with a cluster of top-tier schools in the Benton area and several schools facing significant challenges, particularly those with high poverty rates. For parents, the standout schools are Stockwell Place Elementary School, Legacy Elementary School, and Kingston Elementary School, all 5-star schools with math and English proficiency rates above 88%, while Benton High School leads high schools with a 93.9% graduation rate. In contrast, Bossier High School, Rusheon Middle School, and Waller Elementary School are 0-1 star schools with low proficiency rates and high chronic absenteeism, often exceeding 40%.

Key metrics reveal that the district's graduation rate of 90.7% is well above the state average of 85.0%, and its dropout rate of 1.5% is half the state average. However, chronic absenteeism is a major concern, with a district average of 27.9% that surpasses the state's 22.5%, and schools like Bossier Elementary School (47.7%) and Bossier High School (48.8%) having rates nearly double that. Socioeconomic diversity is stark, with Plantation Park Elementary School at 90.35% free/reduced lunch and Kingston Elementary School at just 24.74%, and this correlates strongly with performance, as high-poverty schools consistently score lower.

Interesting findings include the "Benton Corridor of Excellence," where schools like Benton High School, Benton Middle School, and Kingston Elementary School all outperform district averages, suggesting strong community support. Middle school math is a district-wide weakness, with only Benton Middle School (80%) and Haughton Middle School (69%) exceeding the district average of 66%, while Rusheon Middle School languishes at 31%. Additionally, Plain Dealing High School, the district's only alternative school, boasts the highest graduation rate (94.7%) despite high absenteeism and low test scores, highlighting its success in graduating at-risk students.