Summary:
The three elementary schools in the DeSoto Parish school district serve students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade, with a total combined enrollment of 1,872 students, and the district itself ranks in the top 16% of all Louisiana districts.
North DeSoto Upper Elementary School is the clear academic leader, ranking in the 75th percentile statewide and consistently outperforming district and state averages in nearly every subject. Its chronic absenteeism rate is excellent at just 13.5%, and it serves a community where 41% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. In contrast, Mansfield Elementary School is a remarkable turnaround story, jumping from the 47th percentile (2 stars) to the 71st percentile (4 stars) in just one year. Despite having 87.45% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, Mansfield achieved the highest ELA proficiency in the parish (83%) and tied with North DeSoto Upper in Social Studies (65%). North DeSoto Lower Elementary School serves grades PK-1 and has no recent test scores, but its students feed directly into the high-performing North DeSoto Upper, suggesting a strong pipeline for success.
Key metrics show that both North DeSoto Upper (77% math, 80% ELA) and Mansfield (69% math, 83% ELA) exceed state averages in core subjects. However, chronic absenteeism is a challenge, with Mansfield at 22.3% and North DeSoto Lower at 20.8%, compared to North DeSoto Upper's excellent 13.5%. The data reveals a clear divide between the North DeSoto community and Mansfield, yet both sets of schools contribute to the district's high ranking. Mansfield's dramatic improvement demonstrates that strong academic outcomes are achievable even in more challenged communities, making it a compelling case study for the district.
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