Elementary Schools in Vermilion Parish

The Vermilion Parish school district in Louisiana, ranked 14th out of 116 districts statewide, oversees 11 elementary schools serving grades Pre-K through 5th (with one school extending to 8th grade and another only through 2nd grade), offering a mix of high-performing standouts and schools facing significant challenges.

For parents, the standout academic performers are Cecil Picard Elementary School at Maurice, Dozier Elementary School, and Indian Bayou Elementary School, all consistently earning 5-star ratings with top-tier test scores—Indian Bayou leads in English Language Arts at 94% proficiency, while Dozier tops Social Studies at 82%. Forked Island/E. Broussard Elementary School is a rising star, improving from a 4-star to a 5-star rating and serving students through 8th grade with strong scores. On the other end, James A. Herod Elementary School faces the most challenges, with the lowest state ranking (17th percentile), proficiency rates as low as 49% in Math and 31% in Social Studies, and the highest poverty rate at 89% free/reduced lunch eligibility. Eaton Park Elementary School, serving only PK-2, also struggles with a 41.4% chronic absenteeism rate, the highest in the parish.

Key metrics show a strong link between socioeconomic factors and performance: top schools like Indian Bayou (42.4% free lunch) and Dozier (46.8%) have far lower poverty rates than struggling schools. Chronic absenteeism is a parish-wide issue, averaging 27.9% (above the state average of 22.5%), with rates ranging from a low of 13% at Dozier to a high of 41.4% at Eaton Park. Social Studies is a consistent weak spot across all schools, with a parish average of just 64% proficiency. Smaller schools like Seventh Ward Elementary School (163 students) and Indian Bayou (217 students) prove that size doesn't limit success, often outperforming larger peers. The feeder relationship between Eaton Park and James A. Herod highlights the need for early intervention, as high poverty and absenteeism in primary grades predict later academic struggles.