Best Public Schools in Zip Code 70640

Zip code 70640, serving the rural community of Fenton, Louisiana, is home to a single school, Fenton Elementary School, which educates 73 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade as part of the Jefferson Davis Parish school district.

Fenton Elementary School offers an exceptionally personalized learning environment with a student-teacher ratio of just 6:1, far smaller than the average public school. However, its academic performance has been highly volatile. The school earned a 4-star rating and ranked in the 83rd percentile in 2021-2022, but then dropped dramatically to a 1-star rating and the 28th percentile in 2022-2023. Current test scores show a mixed picture: the school outperforms the state average in Mathematics (65% proficient vs. 62% statewide) but significantly underperforms in English Language Arts (58% vs. 70%) and Social Studies (25% vs. 55%). The Social Studies proficiency rate is alarmingly low—less than half the district average of 59%—and represents a critical area for improvement. A notable bright spot is 7th grade, where students achieve Math (60%) and ELA (70%) scores close to state averages, suggesting a particularly effective teacher or motivated cohort.

Chronic absenteeism stands at 19.8%, which is concerning but actually better than the district average of 24.8%. A more unusual metric is the reported dropout rate of 5.3% for an elementary/middle school, which likely reflects students leaving the school system entirely (e.g., for homeschooling or moving districts) rather than traditional dropouts. This high transiency rate, combined with the small enrollment, can destabilize academic progress. With 69.86% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, the school serves a predominantly economically disadvantaged population. While the intimate class sizes are a clear strength, the dramatic ranking decline and weak Social Studies scores indicate that Fenton Elementary School faces significant challenges in delivering consistent, high-quality education across all subjects.