Jonesboro-Hodge Middle School

Jonesboro-Hodge Middle School is a public middle school in Jonesboro, Louisiana, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 155 students. The school is part of the Jackson Parish School District, which is ranked 49 out of 118 districts in Louisiana and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite its small size, Jonesboro-Hodge Middle School has consistently struggled academically, ranking in the bottom quartile of Louisiana middle schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on LEAP tests is significantly below the state and district averages, with proficiency rates in Mathematics (27%) and English Language Arts (42%) well below the state averages of 60% and 70%, respectively. In comparison, the nearby I.A. Lewis School in the Lincoln Parish School District outperforms Jonesboro-Hodge Middle School by 30-40 percentage points in both subject areas.

The school's challenges may be linked to its high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, with 81.29% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2023-2024 school year. Additionally, Jonesboro-Hodge Middle School has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.9% to 25.0% in recent years, and dropout rates ranging from 0.9% to 4.3%. While the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, this has not translated into improved academic outcomes for its students. The school's persistent underperformance suggests the need for targeted interventions and support to address the unique challenges faced by the community it serves.