South Cameron High School

South Cameron High School in Grand Chenier, LA, is a small, rural public school serving 161 students from Pre-K through 12th grade, with a remarkably low student-to-teacher ratio of 6:1. Part of the highly rated Cameron Parish school district, the school serves a community where about half of students are economically disadvantaged.

This school truly shines at the high school level, where it dramatically outperforms state averages on end-of-course exams. For example, 100% of students were proficient in Geometry and 94% in Algebra I, compared to just 57% and 63% statewide. English scores are similarly impressive, with 92% proficient in English II versus 67% across Louisiana. The school has also maintained a perfect 0% dropout rate for four consecutive years, a stark contrast to the state average of 3-4%. However, the elementary and middle school grades show a more mixed picture. While 4th and 5th grade English scores are outstanding (95% and 89% proficient), 4th grade math (38%) and 6th grade social studies (33%) lag significantly behind state benchmarks. This creates a "feast or famine" pattern that parents should be aware of.

The school's biggest challenge is chronic absenteeism, which fluctuates wildly from year to year—reaching as high as 27%—and is currently above both district and state averages. This is a critical issue for a school of this size, where just a few absent students can dramatically swing the percentage. Another persistent weakness is U.S. History, where proficiency has consistently fallen below state averages. Overall, South Cameron High School offers an exceptional high school experience with personalized attention and stellar academic results, but families should look closely at the elementary and middle school years and the school's efforts to improve attendance.