Best Public Schools in Zip Code 70401

The three public schools in zip code 70401 (Hammond, LA) serve students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and are part of the Tangipahoa Parish school district, which is ranked in the bottom 21st percentile of Louisiana districts. The standout school is Hammond Eastside Magnet, a PK-8 school that is the only one in the area to earn a 2-star rating and consistently meets or exceeds state averages in English Language Arts (ELA), with exceptional 100% proficiency in Algebra I and English I End-of-Course exams. In contrast, Greenville Park Leadership Academy (grades 4-8) is the most challenged school, with the lowest state ranking (6th percentile), the highest rate of economic disadvantage (88.54% free/reduced lunch), and the lowest test scores across all subjects, despite having the smallest student-to-teacher ratio (10.5:1). Hammond High Magnet School (grades 9-12) sits in the middle, with a 1-star rating and test scores generally below state averages, but it faces significant challenges with a 35.5% chronic absenteeism rate and a 74.3% graduation rate, both worse than district and state averages.

Key metrics reveal a system under pressure from high poverty and low academic performance. The average free/reduced lunch rate across all three schools is 77.0%, indicating a high-poverty student population. In ELA, Hammond Eastside leads with 61% proficiency, outperforming the district (58%) and approaching the state (70%), while Greenville Park (42%) and Hammond High (51% for English II) lag far behind. Mathematics is a struggle for all, with Hammond Eastside (43%) the highest but still well below the state (62%), and Greenville Park (31%) and Hammond High (35% for Algebra I) critically low. Social studies is the weakest subject, with Hammond Eastside (45%) the highest, while Greenville Park (26%) and Hammond High (33% for U.S. History) are extremely low. Chronic absenteeism is a systemic crisis, with all three schools exceeding the state average of 22.5%, and Hammond High (35.5%) and Greenville Park (34.0%) at alarmingly high rates.

Interesting findings include the "magnet" effect being uneven, as Hammond Eastside Magnet thrives while Hammond High Magnet struggles, suggesting factors like grade level and leadership are critical. A potential "middle school slide" is evident, as Hammond Eastside's 5th graders achieve 74% proficiency in ELA, but Hammond High's 9th graders achieve only 42% in English I. The data also shows that smaller class sizes do not guarantee better results, as Greenville Park has the lowest student-to-teacher ratio but the worst outcomes, pointing to systemic challenges like high poverty and chronic absenteeism. Despite being in a low-performing district, Hammond Eastside demonstrates that high performance is possible, providing a model for other schools in the area to study and replicate.