Summary:
In zip code 71075 (Springhill, LA), two elementary schools serve students from Pre-K through 5th grade, both part of the Webster Parish school district, which is ranked 81st out of 116 districts in Louisiana.
Browning Elementary School (serving Pre-K through 2nd grade) and Brown Upper Elementary School (serving 3rd through 5th grade) operate as a split-campus model, creating a natural pipeline for students. Both schools face significant socioeconomic challenges, with extremely high rates of economic disadvantage—89.68% of students at Browning and 87.63% at Brown Upper qualify for free or reduced lunch. Chronic absenteeism is a critical issue, particularly at Browning Elementary where 35.2% of students are chronically absent, compared to 29.6% at Brown Upper. This is counterintuitive, as absenteeism typically increases in older grades, suggesting foundational attendance habits need attention starting in early childhood.
Brown Upper Elementary is the only school with standardized test data, and its performance is significantly below state averages. Math proficiency is 37% (vs. 62% statewide), ELA proficiency is 48% (vs. 70%), and Social Studies proficiency is just 31% (vs. 55%). However, there is a positive trend in 5th grade math, where proficiency reaches 50%, matching the district average. The school's state ranking has declined steadily over three years, from the 20th percentile to the 7th percentile. Despite having a lower student-teacher ratio (13.3:1) than Browning (15.6:1), Brown Upper still struggles academically, indicating challenges are rooted in socioeconomic factors and chronic absenteeism rather than class size alone.
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