Summary:
Zip code 70550, serving the Lawtell area, is home to a single elementary school, Lawtell Elementary School, which serves grades PK through 8 with an enrollment of 567 students.
Lawtell Elementary School presents a complex picture for parents. While the school has consistently received a 1-star rating and its state ranking has declined to the 14th percentile, it shows notable strengths in student engagement. The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 19.5% is significantly better than the St. Landry Parish district average of 31.2%, and its dropout rate of 1.3% is less than half the state average. This suggests that students are consistently attending and staying in school, even as overall test scores lag behind district and state averages in math (44% proficient), ELA (55% proficient), and social studies (33% proficient).
A critical finding is the steep decline in math proficiency as students advance, dropping from 60% in 4th grade to just 20% in 8th grade—a far steeper drop than the district or state. However, the school shows relative bright spots in upper-grade subjects, with 8th grade ELA proficiency (64%) nearly matching the state average (69%) and 7th grade social studies (51%) outperforming the district. With 86% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, the school faces significant socioeconomic challenges, but its success in keeping students in class indicates strong non-academic support. The core challenge remains translating this engagement into academic growth, particularly in mathematics.
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