City of Monroe School District

The City of Monroe School District in Louisiana oversees 19 schools—12 elementary, 3 middle, 3 high, and 1 alternative school—serving a diverse student population and currently ranked 91st out of 116 districts in the state with a 1-star rating.

The district is defined by a stark performance gap between a few standout schools and many struggling ones. The top performer is J.S. Clark Magnet Elementary School, which earns a 5-star rating and ranks in the top 5% of Louisiana elementary schools, with exceptional proficiency rates (94% in ELA, 88% in Math) that far exceed district and state averages. Sallie Humble Elementary School is another consistent high achiever with a 4-star rating and strong scores (82% in both ELA and Math). These schools feed into a successful pipeline: Neville Junior High School (4-star) and Neville High School (3-star, 90.8% graduation rate) form the district's only high-performing continuum. In contrast, schools like Berg Jones Elementary School, Roy Neal Shelling Senior Elementary, Carroll Junior High School, and Carroll High School all hold 0-star ratings, with critically low test scores (e.g., 22% Math proficiency at Berg Jones and Carroll Junior High) and high chronic absenteeism rates—Carroll Junior High has a staggering 53.2% absenteeism rate, and Carroll High School has 49.4%.

Key metrics reveal a district with an 84.9% graduation rate (slightly below the state average) and a 23.3% chronic absenteeism rate (above the state average). The average free/reduced lunch rate across schools is about 83%, indicating high economic disadvantage. A critical finding is that middle school is a major drop-off point: while Neville Junior High School excels, the other two middle schools struggle dramatically, with sharp declines in test scores and soaring absenteeism. The alternative school, Sherrouse School, has a surprisingly low chronic absenteeism rate (6.1%) despite serving a high-need population, suggesting it successfully gets students to attend. Overall, the district shows inconsistent elementary performance, with a few elite schools and many low-performing ones, creating an uneven foundation for students.