Summary
Sugar Mill Primary is a public elementary school in Prairieville, LA, serving 644 students from Pre-K through 5th grade as part of the highly-rated Ascension Parish school district. While the district ranks in the top 10% statewide, Sugar Mill itself is a solid 3-star school, placing it in the middle of the pack compared to many of its high-achieving neighbors. For example, nearby schools like Bullion Primary, Oak Grove Primary, and Prairieville Primary are all 5-star schools with top-tier state rankings, making the local educational landscape very competitive.
One of the most interesting things about Sugar Mill is its "tale of two grades" in test scores. In 3rd grade, only 54% of students are proficient in Math and 59% in English Language Arts—well below the district average. However, by 4th and 5th grade, performance jumps dramatically, with 4th graders hitting 76% in Math and 86% in ELA. This pattern is unique among nearby schools, where performance is generally more consistent across grades. The school also excels with its African American students, who rank in the 80th percentile statewide—a performance level that rivals the top-tier schools in the area. On the flip side, the school struggles with its Hispanic students and English Language Learners, suggesting a need for more targeted support for these groups.
There are a couple of red flags for parents to watch. The school's state ranking dropped from the 74th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 65th percentile in 2025-2026, a larger decline than any nearby competitor. Additionally, chronic absenteeism has risen above the district average for the first time, reaching 11.7% in 2024-2025. While this is still well below the state average of 22.5%, it's a trend worth monitoring. Overall, Sugar Mill is a solid, above-average school that shows impressive growth from 3rd to 5th grade, but it faces challenges in its early grades and with certain student subgroups.
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