Elementary Schools in Franklin Parish

The five elementary schools in Franklin Parish, serving grades Pre-K through 8th (except Winnsboro Elementary School, which goes to 5th grade), face significant challenges, with the district ranking in the bottom 16% of Louisiana and an average poverty rate near 80%.

Two schools stand out for very different reasons. Gilbert School is the clear academic leader, earning a 2-star rating for three consecutive years and ranking in the 38th percentile statewide. It leads the district in math (57% proficient), ELA (69%), and social studies (45%). However, it also has the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 44.0%, creating a paradox where strong performance coexists with high absenteeism. In contrast, Winnsboro Elementary School is the most challenged, with a 0-star rating, a ranking in the bottom 1% of Louisiana schools, and the highest poverty rate at 93.44%. Its academic scores are critically low, with only 26% proficient in math and 33% in ELA.

Other schools offer notable contrasts. Baskin School excels in attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 14.5%—far better than the state average of 22.5%. Fort Necessity School has the smallest student-teacher ratio (10.3:1) and a standout 4th-grade ELA score of 81%, the highest in the district for that grade. Overall, the data shows that while poverty and absenteeism are major hurdles, individual schools like Gilbert and Baskin demonstrate that targeted strategies can lead to pockets of excellence, even in a challenging district environment.