Summary:
In zip code 70053, there is a single middle school, Frederick Douglass Community School, serving grades 3 through 8 in Gretna, Louisiana, as part of the Jefferson Parish school district.
Frederick Douglass Community School is a very small school with only 40 students, and it faces significant academic challenges. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 3% of all Louisiana middle schools, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Social Studies far below both district and state averages. For example, only 27% of students were proficient in ELA compared to 63% in the district, and math proficiency was just 14% versus 52% district-wide. A standout positive is the exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 3:1, which typically allows for individualized attention, yet the school's performance remains very low. A major factor appears to be chronic absenteeism, with 34.7% of students missing significant school—over 50% higher than the state average. Additionally, 87.5% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high level of economic need.
Despite these struggles, there is a potential bright spot: 6th-grade math proficiency jumped to 30% in the 2025-2026 school year, a notable improvement from the previous year's overall 14% rate, possibly due to a targeted intervention or effective teacher. The school's dropout rate of 3.6% is actually lower than the district average, which is somewhat surprising given the low test scores and high absenteeism. For parents, this school presents a paradox: it has the structural capacity for intensive support through its tiny class sizes, but it is currently overwhelmed by poverty and attendance issues. Addressing chronic absenteeism could unlock the school's potential to provide the personalized instruction its low student-teacher ratio promises.
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