Summary:
In zip code 71040, there is one middle school, Homer Junior High School, serving grades 5 through 8 in the Claiborne Parish school district, which serves a small, rural community in Homer, Louisiana.
Homer Junior High School faces significant academic challenges, consistently ranking in the bottom 5-7% of Louisiana middle schools over the past three years. With a 2025-2026 state ranking of 439 out of 452 schools (a 0-star rating), proficiency rates are well below state averages: 42% in English Language Arts (vs. 70% statewide), 23% in Math (vs. 62%), and 26% in Social Studies (vs. 55%). The school also has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 29.4%, compared to the state average of 22.5%, which likely contributes to these low scores. However, the school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11:1, and a very high percentage of students (95.69%) are economically disadvantaged, as indicated by free or reduced lunch eligibility.
Despite the low academic performance, there are some positive takeaways. The school's dropout rate of 0.8% is significantly lower than the state average of 3.1%, suggesting the school is effective at keeping students enrolled. English Language Arts is the school's strongest subject, with the smallest gap compared to state averages. Additionally, 7th graders show notably higher proficiency in Math (29%) and Social Studies (32%) compared to other grade levels, which may point to effective instruction at that grade. Overall, while Homer Junior High School struggles academically, it demonstrates a commitment to student retention and has areas of relative strength that families may want to explore further.
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