Summary
CSAL Elementary is a K-5 school in Baton Rouge, LA, serving 288 students within the East Baton Rouge Parish School District, where a high percentage of families (84.7%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating significant economic need.
CSAL has a strong history of performance, earning 4-star ratings for several years, but recently experienced a sharp decline to a 2-star rating in 2025-2026. This drop is puzzling because the school has maintained an exceptional strength in English Language Arts (ELA), with a 73% proficiency rate that outpaces both the district (64%) and state (70%) averages—the highest among nearby traditional public schools. However, the school now faces several challenges: a widening gender achievement gap (female students rank in the 51st percentile, while male students dropped to the 34th percentile), a critical weakness in Social Studies (44% proficiency, below the district average), and a "5th grade math cliff" where math scores plummet to 45%—16 points below the state average. Additionally, CSAL’s student-teacher ratio of 32.3:1 is more than double that of every other nearby school, which likely limits individualized instruction.
Interestingly, CSAL has kept chronic absenteeism low at 14.7%, well below the district average of 30.5%, suggesting strong family engagement. The school’s trajectory contrasts sharply with Belfair Montessori School, just 1.57 miles away, which serves similar demographics but maintains a 4-star rating with a 10.7:1 student-teacher ratio and proficiency rates 10-20 points higher in every subject. This comparison highlights how school-level factors like instructional model and resources can drive outcomes, even in high-poverty areas. For parents, CSAL offers a strong foundation in reading and attendance, but the recent decline in math and social studies, combined with large class sizes, are urgent areas to investigate.
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