Tangipahoa Parish

The Tangipahoa Parish school district in Louisiana oversees 32 public schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools, serving a diverse student population across the parish. The district ranks 92nd out of 116 districts statewide, placing it in the 21st percentile, which indicates significant challenges compared to other districts in Louisiana.

The standout school in the district is Southeastern LA University Lab School, which is the only school to earn a 5-star rating and ranks in the 93rd percentile statewide. It boasts exceptional test scores (88% proficient in Math and 91% in ELA), the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 2.3%, and the lowest percentage of students on free/reduced lunch at 19.84%. In contrast, schools like Independence Leadership Academy and Woodland Park Magnet face severe challenges, ranking in the bottom 10% of the state with proficiency rates below 31% in Math and high poverty rates exceeding 87%. Spring Creek Elementary School is a strong performer, achieving a 3-star rating and outperforming the district in all subjects despite a high free/reduced lunch rate of 68.84%.

Key metrics reveal a district grappling with systemic issues: the graduation rate is 80.1% (below the state average of 85%), the dropout rate is 4.4% (higher than the state average of 3.1%), and chronic absenteeism is a crisis at 30.5% (compared to the state average of 22.5%). High schools like Loranger High School and Jewel M. Sumner High School buck the trend with graduation rates above 88%, despite high absenteeism. The data also shows that the "magnet" label does not guarantee success, as schools like Hammond High Magnet School and Amite High Magnet are among the lowest-performing. Year-over-year volatility is evident, with Chesbrough Elementary School dropping from the 51st percentile to the 26th percentile, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.