Summary:
The Vermilion Parish school district, ranked 14th out of 116 parishes in Louisiana, serves approximately 8,233 students across 20 public schools, including 11 elementary, 4 middle, and 5 high schools, offering a mix of standout performers and schools facing significant challenges.
For parents seeking top-tier options, the "North Vermilion" feeder system is consistently excellent. North Vermilion High School ranks in the top 10% of Louisiana high schools with a 0% dropout rate, while Cecil Picard Elementary School at Maurice and Indian Bayou Elementary School both achieve 5-star ratings with exceptional test scores. Dozier Elementary School also shines with strong Social Studies and ELA proficiency. In contrast, the "Abbeville" feeder system struggles significantly: Abbeville High School ranks in the bottom 25% with a 4.7% dropout rate, J.H. Williams Middle School is in the bottom 24%, and James A. Herod Elementary School is in the bottom 17%. Notably, Seventh Ward Elementary School defies the poverty-performance trend, achieving strong results despite a high free/reduced lunch rate of 73.6%.
Key metrics reveal a district-wide crisis in chronic absenteeism, averaging 27.9%—well above the state average of 22.5%—with Abbeville High School (44.7%) and J.H. Williams Middle School (43.3%) being the worst. Social Studies proficiency is a universal weakness across all schools. However, there are bright spots: Gueydan High School showed remarkable improvement, jumping from the 49th to the 77th percentile in state rankings, and small schools like Forked Island/E. Broussard Elementary School and Indian Bayou Elementary School prove that size doesn't limit success.
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