Summary:
In zip code 70541, there is a single elementary school, Grand Coteau Elementary School, serving grades PK through 4 with 269 students in the St. Landry Parish school district.
Grand Coteau Elementary School shows a dramatic performance gap between its 3rd and 4th graders. In the 2025-2026 school year, 4th graders scored 71% proficient in Math and 78% in English Language Arts (ELA), beating state averages of 67% and 72% respectively. However, 3rd graders scored only 42% in Math and 47% in ELA, well below state averages. This 29-31 point gap suggests either the 4th-grade cohort is exceptionally strong or there is a significant instructional strength at that grade level. The school's overall Math proficiency dropped from 70% to 56% between school years, driving a sharp decline in its state ranking from the 58th percentile (3 stars) in 2024-2025 to the 35th percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026. Chronic absenteeism is a critical concern at 31.4%, nearly 40% higher than the state average of 22.5%, and likely contributes to the school's academic struggles.
The school serves a high-poverty population with 77.7% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, yet maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.2:1. This low ratio suggests potential for individualized attention, but the high absenteeism rate and grade-level performance gaps indicate this advantage is not yet translating into consistent academic outcomes. Overall, Grand Coteau Elementary School has pockets of excellence in 4th grade but faces significant challenges with declining math scores, a dropping state ranking, and chronic absenteeism that needs to be addressed.
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