Salmen High School

Salmen High School in Slidell, LA, serves 1,091 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the high-performing St. Tammany Parish school district, yet it has consistently ranked in the bottom third of Louisiana high schools, earning a 1-star rating. The school faces significant challenges, including a 76.4% graduation rate that falls below both the district and state averages, a chronic absenteeism rate of 30% that is nearly 50% higher than the district average, and test scores that lag far behind nearby schools. For example, in Geometry, only 29% of Salmen students are proficient, compared to 82% at Northshore High School and 85% at Lakeshore High School, both just a few miles away.

What makes Salmen stand out is the stark contrast with its neighbors in the same district. While Fontainebleau High School and Northshore rank in the 84th and 88th percentiles statewide, Salmen sits at the 29th percentile. Even Slidell High School, just 2.9 miles away with a similar percentage of students from low-income backgrounds, outperforms Salmen in state ranking and most test scores. Over 62% of Salmen students receive free or reduced lunch, a much higher rate than the 32-35% seen at top-performing district peers, and this economic disparity is a key factor in the school's struggles.

There was a brief bright spot in the 2023-2024 school year when Salmen's Biology proficiency rate hit 65%, surpassing the state average, but this success was not sustained, dropping to 48% the following year. The school also shows inconsistent support for student subgroups, with performance for White students and Special Education students fluctuating dramatically from year to year. The chronic absenteeism crisis appears to be the primary obstacle to improvement, as addressing it would likely boost graduation rates and test scores across the board.