Middle Schools in Caddo Parish

The eight middle schools in the Caddo Parish school district, serving primarily grades 6-8, present a starkly divided educational landscape, ranging from a top-tier magnet school to several institutions facing severe challenges. Caddo Parish Middle Magnet School is a clear standout, ranking in the top 1% of Louisiana schools with near-perfect LEAP proficiency rates (100% in Math and ELA) and a low chronic absenteeism rate of 10.8%. In contrast, AmiKiDs Caddo ranks last in the state, with only 5% proficiency in Math and 19% in ELA, alongside a 59.2% chronic absenteeism rate. Fair Park Middle School faces the highest chronic absenteeism in the district at 74.5%, while Youree Dr. Middle Advanced Placement Magnet School performs as the second-best school, though still well below the magnet leader.

Key metrics highlight a district grappling with significant disparities. The district average for chronic absenteeism is 31.0%, nearly 40% higher than the state average, with only Caddo Parish Middle Magnet falling below that state benchmark. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch, a measure of economic disadvantage, ranges from just 23.34% at the magnet school to over 93% at AmiKiDs Caddo. The district's average dropout rate of 4.1% also exceeds the state average, though Caddo Parish Middle Magnet reports a 0.0% rate. Data quality issues are apparent, as Fair Park and AmiKiDs Caddo report implausible student-teacher ratios of 201:1 and 6000:1, respectively.

The most critical takeaway is the powerful link between poverty and performance across the district. Schools with the highest poverty rates, such as Ridgewood Middle School, Caddo Middle Career and Technology School, Linear/Northside Middle School, and AmiKiDs Caddo, all have critically low proficiency rates (below 40% in Math and ELA). The magnet schools, which often have selective admissions, successfully serve a less disadvantaged population, widening the gap with traditional neighborhood schools. For parents, this data underscores that school choice within Caddo Parish can mean dramatically different educational outcomes, with Caddo Parish Middle Magnet offering an elite experience while most other schools face significant hurdles related to poverty and attendance.