Best Public Schools in Zip Code 70737

The eight public schools in zip code 70737 (Gonzales, Louisiana) are part of the top-tier Ascension Parish school district and serve students from Pre-K through 12th grade in a community where a significant majority of students come from low-to-moderate income households.

For academic excellence, Pecan Grove Primary School stands out as the highest-ranked elementary school in the area, achieving top-tier English Language Arts (80% proficient) and Social Studies (68% proficient) scores despite having one of the highest free/reduced lunch rates. Central Primary School is another standout, boasting the highest Math proficiency (71%) among elementary schools and an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of just 2.4%—far below the district average of 11.6%. At the middle school level, Central Middle School leads with the highest Social Studies proficiency (68%) in the entire zip code and a perfect 0.0% dropout rate. East Ascension High School, the only high school in the area, performs solidly with a graduation rate (88.8%) exceeding the state average, though its chronic absenteeism rate (20.4%) is a notable concern.

A key takeaway is the strong link between attendance and performance: schools with lower chronic absenteeism, like Central Primary, consistently achieve higher test scores. Middle school Math is a district-wide challenge, with both Gonzales Middle School (56% proficient) and Central Middle (63% proficient) trailing the district average of 77%. Gonzales Primary School has shown the most dramatic improvement, jumping from a 2-star to a 3-star rating over three years, while G. W. Carver Primary School and Duplessis Primary School offer solid options with slightly lower proficiency rates.