Natchitoches Junior High School

Natchitoches Junior High School in Natchitoches, LA, serves 371 students in grades 7 and 8 within the Natchitoches Parish school district, where nearly all students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, as reflected by a 98% free/reduced lunch rate.

The school is on a strong upward trajectory, recently earning a 2-star rating and jumping from the 16th to the 38th percentile statewide—a significant improvement after years of lower performance. While it still trails the elite N.S.U. Middle Lab School (98th percentile), which serves a much less economically challenged population, Natchitoches Junior High is making notable gains. For example, its math proficiency rate of 50% and English Language Arts rate of 66% lag behind N.S.U. Middle Lab School’s 95% and 94%, respectively. However, the school’s chronic absenteeism rate has dropped dramatically to 17.2%, now below both the district (19.3%) and state (22.5%) averages, and its dropout rate remains very low at just 0.5%.

Interesting subgroup data shows that White students at the school rank in the 89th percentile statewide (4-star rating), while African American students have improved to the 53rd percentile (3-star rating). Special education students have also seen a dramatic turnaround, moving from the 0th percentile to the 41st percentile. When compared to East Natchitoches Elementary & Middle School, which serves a similar high-poverty population, Natchitoches Junior High performs comparably in math but trails in English Language Arts (54% vs. 70%). Overall, the school is showing clear progress and is becoming a more effective option for families in the area.