Best Public Schools in Zip Code 70812

The five schools in zip code 70812, serving students from elementary through high school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, present a dramatic tale of two extremes, with one school achieving exceptional success while others face significant challenges. Forest Heights Academy of Excellence is the clear standout, ranking in the 95th percentile statewide with 87% math and 93% ELA proficiency, and a remarkably low 5.6% chronic absenteeism rate. In stark contrast, Glen Oaks Senior High School ranks in the 6th percentile, with a 60.2% chronic absenteeism rate and a 67.5% graduation rate, well below the state average. The other elementary schools—Glen Oaks Park Elementary School, Merrydale Elementary School, and Lanier Elementary School A Redesign School—all serve high-poverty communities, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 70.9% to 93.8%.

Key metrics reveal that chronic absenteeism is the defining challenge across the area, directly correlating with academic performance. While Forest Heights Academy of Excellence thrives with minimal absenteeism, Merrydale Elementary School struggles with a 35.4% chronic absenteeism rate and low proficiency scores. Glen Oaks Park Elementary School has experienced a troubling decline, dropping from the 55th to the 18th percentile in just two years, despite a relatively low 19.8% absenteeism rate. Notably, Glen Oaks Senior High School has a low student-teacher ratio of 9:1, yet its outcomes are the worst, showing that small class sizes alone cannot overcome deeper issues like absenteeism and school culture.

An interesting finding is the data gap for Lanier Elementary School A Redesign School, a charter school in the Lanier Charter School district, which has no test scores, rank history, or absenteeism data, making it impossible to evaluate. Overall, the schools in this zip code, part of the East Baton Rouge Parish district, demonstrate that school-level leadership and culture can dramatically impact outcomes, with Forest Heights Academy of Excellence proving that high performance is achievable even in a high-poverty area.