Summary:
The seven elementary schools in Thibodaux, LA (zip code 70301) serve grades Pre-K through 5 or 8, and are part of the highly-rated Lafourche Parish school district, which ranks in the 86th percentile statewide.
There is a stark divide in performance among these schools. Bayou Community Academy Charter School is the clear academic standout, ranking in the top 2% of Louisiana elementary schools with a 5-star rating and exceptional test scores, often reaching 100% proficiency. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (4.4%) and the lowest percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch (35.47%). Chackbay Elementary School and Bayou Boeuf Elementary School are also strong performers, consistently ranking in the top 10% of the state with 5-star ratings and proficiency rates well above district averages. In contrast, Thibodaux Elementary School, W.S. Lafargue Elementary School, and C.M. Washington Elementary School face significant challenges, with high chronic absenteeism rates (over 20%), very high percentages of students from low-income families (over 82%), and academic performance consistently below district averages, resulting in low state rankings (2-star or 1-star).
Key takeaways for parents include a strong correlation between socioeconomic factors and academic outcomes, with the highest-poverty schools also struggling with the highest absenteeism. The district's high ranking masks this internal disparity, as the top school is in the 98th percentile while the lowest is in the 42nd percentile. Interestingly, student-teacher ratio is not a predictor of success, as the top-performing Bayou Community Academy Charter School has the highest ratio (16.9:1), while the also high-performing Bayou Boeuf Elementary School has the lowest (12.7:1).
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