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Willow Charter Academy

Q: Is Willow Charter Academy a good school?

Willow Charter Academy ranks 292 nd of 690 Louisiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

292^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 690 Louisiana Elementary Schools

Better than 58% of Louisiana elementary schools

Summary

Willow Charter Academy is a K-8 school in Lafayette, LA, serving 605 students as a single-school charter district, and it has achieved a remarkable turnaround from a 1-star rating to a 3-star rating in just four years, now ranking in the 58th percentile statewide for the 2025-2026 school year.

This school stands out for its strong academic performance, especially given that over 98% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Willow Charter Academy ranks in the 66th percentile for low socio-economic status students, a clear strength that sets it apart from nearby high-poverty schools like Alice N. Boucher Elementary School and J.W. Faulk Elementary School, which both rank in the bottom 25% of the state. The school also excels in Mathematics, with 75% of students proficient compared to the state average of 62%, though Social Studies is a weaker area, particularly in the upper grades where proficiency drops to 32% in 7th grade. Chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically from 74.8% to 24.6%, but it remains above the state average and higher than high-performing peers like Myrtle Place Elementary School (5.2%).

One notable challenge is the school's high student-teacher ratio of 34.4:1, more than double that of most nearby schools, which range from 9.2:1 to 20.1:1. Despite this, the school's consistent upward trajectory—improving every year since 2017-2018—suggests effective leadership and targeted interventions are in place. As a charter school operating under the Willow Charter Academy district, it has broken the pattern of low performance seen in other high-poverty schools in the area, making it a compelling option for families seeking a school that is overcoming significant challenges.

605

Students ?

34.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,944

Per pupil spending ?

98.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1818 Northeast Evangeline Thro
Lafayette, LA 70501

(616) 954-6377

District: Willow Charter Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

90.9%

White:

4.0%

Hispanic:

3.0%

See top rated Louisiana elementary schools

Compare Willow Charter Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 8th percentile in 2018 → 58th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 50 percentile points since 2018

✓Above the Louisiana median (58th percentile)

Worth a look

!Large classes — about 34 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

Louisiana avg62%

Elementary school

292^nd of 690

Louisiana public elementary schools ?

Top 42%▲ up 50 pts since 2018

From bottom 8% (2018) to top 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Louisiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

204^th of 452

Louisiana public middle schools ?

Top 45%▲ up 39 pts since 2019

From bottom 16% (2019) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Louisiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

36^th of 116Willow Charter Academy among Louisiana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	60.4	292 of 690	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.8	348 of 666	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.8	357 of 675	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.8	485 of 730	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.6	563 of 727	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.0	658 of 729	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.5	652 of 731	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.9	669 of 728	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	71.6	124 of 548	77.4%	★★★★☆
2025	65.3	153 of 501	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.2	150 of 509	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	49.8	279 of 570	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.2	344 of 562	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.1	467 of 564	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.2	453 of 559	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.4	441 of 547	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	57.6	310 of 679	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.3	359 of 633	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.7	308 of 635	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.0	407 of 705	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.4	503 of 701	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.0	618 of 705	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.6	609 of 684	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	65.6	231 of 685	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.2	272 of 661	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.4	286 of 674	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.7	450 of 723	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.3	537 of 724	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.2	641 of 719	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.6	626 of 697	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.5	615 of 682	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	56.7	314 of 682	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.4	313 of 641	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.6	320 of 651	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	27.2	541 of 713	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.6	575 of 712	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.9	629 of 704	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.8	651 of 696	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2022	45.5	160 of 307	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	15.2	283 of 306	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.5	293 of 333	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	56.9	204 of 452	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.1	140 of 447	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.4	113 of 449	74.8%	★★★★☆
2023	36.9	301 of 465	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.3	236 of 460	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.3	321 of 459	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.4	377 of 449	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	68.9	89 of 344	74.1%	★★★★☆
2025	81.9	38 of 344	89.0%	★★★★☆
2024	88.5	24 of 333	92.8%	★★★★★
2023	53.1	147 of 360	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.8	101 of 360	71.9%	★★★★☆
2021	42.8	196 of 352	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.8	237 of 338	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.9	249 of 313	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	68.9	132 of 434	69.6%	★★★★☆
2025	55.5	189 of 415	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	85.1	48 of 415	88.4%	★★★★☆
2023	50.3	234 of 444	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.9	262 of 441	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.8	321 of 441	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.0	346 of 418	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	64.2	152 of 450	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	77.7	82 of 437	81.2%	★★★★☆
2024	83.8	48 of 444	89.2%	★★★★☆
2023	43.8	258 of 459	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.6	187 of 458	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.3	311 of 455	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.0	355 of 430	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.6	360 of 403	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	47.4	244 of 435	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	77.0	90 of 414	78.3%	★★★★☆
2024	71.0	113 of 426	73.5%	★★★★☆
2023	39.0	267 of 443	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.1	225 of 442	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.8	302 of 442	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	16.5	359 of 418	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2023	45.6	104 of 206	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.5	105 of 206	49.0%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

African American (2026)77th percentile+20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)66th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)54th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)54th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2022)48th percentile+25 vs school

Middle school

African American (2026)74th percentile+19 vs school

Female (2026)70th percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)66th percentile+11 vs school

Special Education (2023)50th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Louisiana (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics75%+13 vs state

English Language Arts71%~ state avg

Social Studies49%-6 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, March 3, 2022

people are so so cruel at this school. my daughter has told me she has been told to khs, fat shamed very badly, and they make sick jokes about her weight. she hates going to school and doesn’t want to continue anything anymore she told me. Close Quote

Schools Near Willow Charter Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				LEAP Mathematics (2026)					LEAP English Language Arts (2026)							LEAP Social Studies (2026)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	LEAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	LEAP Mathematics 4th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 5th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 6th Grade	LEAP Mathematics All Grades	LEAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts All Grades	LEAP Social Studies 3rd Grade	LEAP Social Studies 4th Grade	LEAP Social Studies 5th Grade	LEAP Social Studies 6th Grade	LEAP Social Studies 7th Grade	LEAP Social Studies 8th Grade	LEAP Social Studies All Grades	Total
Willow Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1818 Northeast Evangeline Thro	Lafayette	70501	Lafayette Parish	Willow Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 954-6377	605	18	34.4	98.2%	24 (4.0%)	550 (90.9%)	18 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	60.4	292^nd of 690 public elementary schools	57.7%		51.8	348^th of 666 public elementary schools	47.7%	56	78.0	58.0		82.0	75.0	59.0	62.0	76.0	89.0	66.0	74.0	71.0	44.0	46.0	60.0	69.0	32.0	42.0	49.0	$15,944
Alice N. Boucher Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Patterson Street	Lafayette	70501	Lafayette Parish	Lafayette Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 521-7610	442	30	14.6	94.3%	15 (3.4%)	403 (91.2%)	17 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	22.8	570^th of 690 public elementary schools	17.4%		18.4	578^th of 666 public elementary schools	13.2%	8	50.0	42.0	50.0		47.0	45.0	45.0	64.0				51.0	36.0	20.0	46.0				34.0	$17,931
J.W. Faulk Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	711 East Willow Street	Lafayette	70501	Lafayette Parish	Lafayette Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 521-7680	424	30	14.3	94.3%	13 (3.1%)	384 (90.6%)	16 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	28.8	523^rd of 690 public elementary schools	24.2%		24.9	529^th of 666 public elementary schools	20.6%	6	47.0	76.0	39.0		54.0	42.0	62.0	61.0				55.0	26.0	42.0	41.0				36.0	$15,316
Dr. Raphael A. Baranco Elementary School	Public	K-6	801 Mudd Ave.	Lafayette	70501	Lafayette Parish	Lafayette Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 521-7500	247	27	9.2	93.1%	6 (2.4%)	224 (90.7%)	11 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	27.7	529^th of 690 public elementary schools	23.3%		30.3	488^th of 666 public elementary schools	26.7%	41	62.0	53.0	37.0		51.0	45.0	65.0	54.0				54.0	39.0	32.0	44.0				39.0	$16,857
Truman Early Childhood Education Center	Public	PK-K	1210 West Willow Street	Lafayette	70506	Lafayette Parish	Lafayette Parish	No	No	No	No	(337) 521-7810	331	26	12.9	79.2%	70 (21.1%)	208 (62.8%)	45 (13.6%)	7 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																				$18,200
Myrtle Place Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 Myrtle Place Boulevard	Lafayette	70506	Lafayette Parish	Lafayette Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 521-7760	384	21	18.0	30.2%	284 (74.0%)	78 (20.3%)	8 (2.1%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	97.6	8^th of 690 public elementary schools	98.8%		94.6	20^th of 666 public elementary schools	97.0%	12		100.0	100.0		99.0			99.0							92.0					$15,327
J. Wallace James Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 W. Willow St.	Scott	70583	Lafayette Parish	Lafayette Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 521-7700	957	48	20.1	51.1%	402 (42.0%)	483 (50.5%)	40 (4.2%)	14 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	16 (1.7%)	78.6	146^th of 690 public elementary schools	78.8%		77.1	158^th of 666 public elementary schools	76.3%	12	82.0		76.0		81.0	83.0	80.0					82.0	68.0	61.0	62.0				64.0	$13,280
Evangeline Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	610 East Butcher Switch Road	Lafayette	70507	Lafayette Parish	Lafayette Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 521-7670	604	42	14.3	85.3%	71 (11.8%)	488 (80.8%)	30 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.3%)	45.5	394^th of 690 public elementary schools	42.9%		51.6	350^th of 666 public elementary schools	47.4%	44	49.0	76.0	42.0		54.0	53.0	76.0	67.0				66.0	46.0	60.0	45.0				51.0	$14,604
Live Oak Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3020 N University Ave	Lafayette	70507	Lafayette Parish	Lafayette Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 521-7730	520	32	16.0	81.9%	73 (14.0%)	345 (66.3%)	91 (17.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.7%)	44.3	407^th of 690 public elementary schools	41.0%		33	475^th of 666 public elementary schools	28.7%	68	75.0		44.0		63.0	68.0	61.0	64.0				64.0	46.0	50.0	43.0				46.0	$15,383
S.J. Montgomery Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	600 Foreman Drive	Lafayette	70506	Lafayette Parish	Lafayette Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 521-7750	663	45	14.5	75.6%	86 (13.0%)	383 (57.8%)	157 (23.7%)	9 (1.4%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.5%)	17.4	617^th of 690 public elementary schools	10.6%		21.6	556^th of 666 public elementary schools	16.5%	61	43.0	34.0	58.0		44.0	41.0	51.0	52.0				47.0	20.0	37.0	36.0				29.0	$17,228

Frequently Asked Questions about Willow Charter Academy

Is Willow Charter Academy a good school?

Willow Charter Academy ranks 292^nd of 690 Louisiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Willow Charter Academy?

Students at Willow Charter Academy are 91% African American, 4% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% American Indian.

What district is Willow Charter Academy in?

Willow Charter Academy

How many students attend Willow Charter Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 605 students attended Willow Charter Academy.

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Latest Louisiana data All new data »

2025–26 LEAP test scoresJul 6, 2026

2023–24 dropout ratesFeb 24, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataDec 1, 2025

2023–24 through 2024–25 graduation ratesNov 22, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Louisiana Dept of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.