Claiborne Parish

The Claiborne Parish school district in Louisiana serves 1,616 students across six schools in Homer and Haynesville, including two elementary schools, one middle school, two high schools, and one alternative school, with a district ranking of 100th out of 116 in the state.

For parents, the standout school is Haynesville Elementary School, which leads the district with a 2-star rating and strong English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency at 64%, nearly matching the state average of 70%. In contrast, Homer High School struggles significantly, with the lowest state ranking (11th percentile), a 0-star rating, and only 18% proficiency in U.S. History. The alternative Summerfield High School is an unexpected success, achieving the highest ELA proficiency in the district (66%) and an 89.5% graduation rate. A clear divide exists between the towns: Haynesville schools consistently outperform Homer schools, with Haynesville Junior/Senior High School posting 45% math proficiency versus just 23% at Homer Junior High School. Chronic absenteeism is a critical issue, especially at Homer High (31.9%) and Homer Junior High (29.4%), while Homer Elementary School has a 40% ELA proficiency rate, far below Haynesville Elementary's 64%.

Key metrics show the district faces high economic disadvantage, with an average free/reduced lunch rate of 85.4%, and academic proficiency lags behind state averages: 31% in math (state 62%), 52% in ELA (state 70%), and 34% in social studies (state 55%). Despite low test scores, both traditional high schools boast a 94.6% graduation rate, well above the state average of 85%, suggesting effective support systems. The student-teacher ratio is low at 11.7:1, ranging from 9.8:1 at Homer Elementary to 14.5:1 at Haynesville Elementary. A key takeaway is that improving attendance, particularly in Homer schools, could be the most impactful intervention for raising achievement, while Summerfield High's strong performance offers a model for reaching at-risk students.