Summary:
Zip code 70550 is home to a single school, Lawtell Elementary School, which serves students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade as part of the St. Landry Parish school district, an area with a high level of economic need where 86% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Lawtell Elementary has received a 1-star rating for three consecutive years and its state ranking has declined to the 14th percentile, indicating it is a low-performing school compared to state averages. Across all grades, proficiency rates lag significantly behind both the district and state: 44% in math (vs. 62% state), 55% in English Language Arts (vs. 70% state), and 33% in social studies (vs. 55% state). However, the school shows notable strengths in specific grades, particularly in 4th and 5th grade math and 5th, 7th, and 8th grade English Language Arts, where scores meet or exceed district averages. A critical concern is a dramatic "middle school cliff" in math, where proficiency drops from 60% in 4th grade to just 20% in 8th grade, suggesting a breakdown in instruction during the upper elementary and middle school years.
Despite its academic challenges, the school presents a paradox with several positive environmental metrics. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 19.5% is notably lower than both the district (31.2%) and state (22.5%) averages, and its dropout rate of 1.3% is far better than the district (4.1%) and state (3.1%). This suggests that while academic outcomes are poor, Lawtell Elementary may provide a supportive environment that keeps students engaged and attending school. Social studies is a systemic weakness across all grade levels, and year-over-year data shows minimal academic growth, indicating the school is in a holding pattern of low performance that requires targeted intervention.
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