Summary:
Zip code 70071, located in Lutcher, Louisiana, is home to a single high school, Lutcher High School, which serves grades 7 through 12 with a total enrollment of 908 students as part of the St. James Parish school district.
Lutcher High School stands out for its strong academic performance, particularly in STEM subjects. The school consistently outperforms both the district and state averages on End-of-Course exams, with a Biology proficiency rate of 77%—17 percentage points higher than the state average—and strong showings in Algebra I (72%) and Geometry (68%). The school has also shown an improving state ranking, moving from the 68th percentile to the 71st percentile over recent years, earning a 4-star rating. A key strength is its low chronic absenteeism rate of 14.1%, which is significantly better than the state average of 22.5%, indicating strong student engagement. However, the school presents a paradox: while its graduation rate of 87.9% exceeds the state average, its dropout rate of 4.0% is higher than both the district (3.3%) and state (3.1%) averages, suggesting a need for targeted support for at-risk students.
An interesting internal trend is the "7th grade bump" versus "8th grade slump." In 7th grade, students outperform state averages in Math (74% vs. 65%), ELA (74% vs. 71%), and Social Studies (58% vs. 57%). However, by 8th grade, proficiency rates drop relative to the state and fall below the district average in ELA (67% vs. 71%) and Social Studies (58% vs. 61%). Overall, Lutcher High School offers a strong educational environment with notable academic strengths, particularly in science and math, but families should be aware of the transition challenges in 8th grade and the higher-than-average dropout rate.
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