Summary:
Zip code 70507 in Lafayette, LA, is home to six schools serving grades PK-12, including three elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative charter school, all operating in a high-poverty area where over 70% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The standout performer in this area is Ossun Elementary School, the only school to earn a 4-star rating, with LEAP proficiency rates (73% in math, 72% in English) that exceed state averages. In stark contrast, Acadian Middle School is the most challenged, earning a 0-star rating with proficiency rates as low as 21% in social studies—far below the state average of 55%. Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy, part of the Lafayette Charter Foundation, presents a paradox: despite below-average test scores, it boasts a 91.2% graduation rate and a 1.0% dropout rate, both significantly better than state averages, and has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (13.3%) in the zip code. Meanwhile, Carencro High School struggles with a 40.3% chronic absenteeism rate—nearly double the district and state averages—and a declining 1-star rating.
Chronic absenteeism is a systemic crisis across the traditional Lafayette Parish schools here, averaging 30.6% versus the state's 22.5%. Several schools show troubling downward trends: Evangeline Elementary School dropped from a 4-star to a 2-star rating, and Carencro High fell from 2-star to 1-star. However, Ossun Elementary proves that high performance is achievable despite high poverty (79.32% free/reduced lunch), suggesting that factors like school leadership and teaching quality are critical differentiators. For parents, this area offers a mix of a top-tier elementary option, a struggling middle school, and a charter school that excels at graduating students despite academic challenges.
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