Summary:
Zip code 71016 is home to a single school, Castor High School, an alternative school serving Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade with 417 students in the Bienville Parish district, which holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 66th percentile statewide.
Castor High School stands out for its exceptional academic performance, consistently surpassing both district and state averages in nearly every subject and grade level. The school boasts a graduation rate of 87.5% (above the state average of 85%) and a remarkable 0.0% dropout rate, far better than the district's 1.3% and state's 3.1%. Overall proficiency rates are impressive: 81% in Mathematics (district: 66%, state: 62%), 80% in English Language Arts (district: 72%, state: 70%), and 65% in Social Studies (district: 51%, state: 55%). A low student-teacher ratio of 9.3:1 supports personalized learning, and 53.48% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Despite these strengths, the school faces a notable challenge with chronic absenteeism at 29.0%, which is higher than the district (21.0%) and state (22.5%) averages. This creates a paradox where attending students achieve elite results, but a significant portion of the student body is not consistently engaged. Additionally, year-over-year volatility in high school End-of-Course exams (e.g., Algebra I dropping from 92% to 68% between recent years) suggests small class sizes can cause dramatic swings. Overall, Castor High School serves as a model for rural education, demonstrating how individualized instruction can drive high academic outcomes even in an alternative school setting.
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