Summary:
In zip code 70737 (Gonzales, Louisiana), there are two public middle schools serving grades 6 through 8, both part of the highly-rated Ascension Parish school district.
Central Middle School stands out as the higher-performing school in the area, consistently outperforming Gonzales Middle School across nearly all subjects. In the 2025-2026 school year, Central achieved 63% proficiency in Math, 73% in ELA, and a standout 68% in Social Studies—a full 14 percentage points higher than Gonzales. Central also holds a stronger state ranking (169th out of 452 schools, 63rd percentile) compared to Gonzales (253rd, 44th percentile). However, both schools trail their district averages in every academic metric, with the district achieving 77% in Math, 82% in ELA, and 71% in Social Studies. Central has a lower percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch (54.1%) compared to Gonzales (68.5%), and both schools have chronic absenteeism rates (11.3% and 12.6%) that are roughly half the state average of 22.5%.
A key finding is the "Social Studies gap," which is the largest difference between the two schools, with Central's 6th graders achieving 75% proficiency compared to just 53% at Gonzales. Additionally, Gonzales shows a concerning "8th grade slump," with Math proficiency dropping from 61% in 6th grade to just 45% in 8th grade, while Central maintains more stable scores. Central's state ranking has slightly declined from the 80th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 63rd percentile, while Gonzales has remained consistently in the lower half of rankings. Despite these differences, both schools have dropout rates well below state averages, with Central reporting a 0.0% dropout rate.
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