Summary:
The two public schools in zip code 70542, serving the rural community of Gueydan, Louisiana, are Gueydan High School (grades 6-12) and Jesse Owens Elementary School (Pre-K-5), both part of the highly-ranked Vermilion Parish school district.
Gueydan High School is the standout school in the area, driven by exceptional STEM performance and a rapid rise in state rankings. It achieved 86% proficiency in Algebra I and 84% in Biology, far exceeding district and state averages, and its state ranking jumped from the 49th to the 77th percentile in just three years. The school also boasts a perfect 0.0% dropout rate and a solid 90.5% graduation rate. However, a notable "middle school slump" appears in 7th grade, where proficiency rates in Math (55%), ELA (55%), and Social Studies (45%) lag significantly behind district averages. In contrast, Jesse Owens Elementary School is a consistent performer with a slight decline in its state ranking over three years. It shows a clear strength in upper elementary Math and ELA, with 5th graders achieving 84% and 85% proficiency respectively, but 3rd and 4th graders struggle more in ELA (62% and 60%) compared to Math (76% and 73%).
The most striking finding is the paradox of high performance versus high chronic absenteeism. Gueydan High School has a 37.8% chronic absenteeism rate—far above the district (27.9%) and state (22.5%) averages—yet still achieves top-tier test scores. This suggests that while present students receive exceptional instruction, a significant portion of the student body is missing critical learning time. Both schools serve a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students (56-62% free/reduced lunch) and maintain excellent student-teacher ratios (11.5:1 and 12:1). Reducing absenteeism represents a major opportunity to boost already impressive metrics across both schools.
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