Summary:
In zip code 70346, there is one high school, Donaldsonville High School, serving grades 9 through 12 in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, with 396 students. This school is part of the highly-rated Ascension Parish district, which holds a 5-star rating and ranks in the 92nd percentile among Louisiana districts, yet the school itself faces significant challenges that set it apart from its district peers.
Donaldsonville High School has a low state ranking, dropping from the 35th percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026 to the 23rd percentile (1 star) in 2023-2024, a stark contrast to its high-performing district. A major concern is chronic absenteeism, with a rate of 25.0%—more than double the district average of 11.6% and higher than the state average of 22.5%. Test score proficiency in core subjects like Algebra I (51% vs. district 84%) and English I (46% vs. district 75%) are significantly below district averages. However, the school has a low student-teacher ratio of 10.8:1, offering potential for personalized attention, and a graduation rate of 88.3% that exceeds the state average of 85.0%.
Despite these struggles, there are positive signs. The school's state ranking has improved for two consecutive years, moving from the 23rd to the 35th percentile, suggesting interventions may be working. The graduation rate is a bright spot, indicating the school successfully moves students through to graduation even with low academic proficiency. The high poverty rate, with 91.16% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, is a key factor in the school's challenges. Addressing chronic absenteeism appears to be the most impactful lever for improvement, as it directly correlates with lower test scores and graduation rates.
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