Summary:
The 11 schools in zip code 71111 (Bossier City, LA), all part of the Bossier Parish school district, present a stark contrast in educational quality, ranging from nationally competitive elementary schools to high schools facing significant challenges. The standout performers are Stockwell Place Elementary School and Legacy Elementary School, both ranked in the 97th percentile statewide and earning 5-star ratings for three consecutive years. At the other end, Meadowview Elementary School and Bossier Elementary School received 0-star ratings, while Plantation Park Elementary School and Bossier High School earned just 1 star. Middle-performing schools include Airline High School (3-star, 92.1% graduation rate) and W.T. Lewis Elementary School, which showed rapid improvement from the 64th to 86th percentile in two years.
Key metrics reveal a direct link between poverty and performance. The top schools have low free/reduced lunch (FRL) rates (30-44%), while struggling schools have rates of 80-90%. Chronic absenteeism mirrors this divide: Stockwell Place has a 14.8% absenteeism rate, while Bossier High School has 48.8% and Bossier Elementary has 47.7%. Test scores highlight the gap: Stockwell Place achieves 91% proficiency in Math and ELA, while Meadowview scores just 36% and 53% respectively. At the high school level, Airline High outperforms Bossier High in every subject, including 75% vs. 39% proficiency in English II.
An interesting anomaly is Cope Middle School, a 3-star school with an extraordinary 99-100% proficiency in Algebra I, likely due to selective placement of high-achieving students. Overall, this zip code is a microcosm of educational inequality, where a family living near Stockwell Place may have access to a top-ranked school, while another just miles away is zoned for a bottom-20% school like Bossier Elementary. The data strongly suggests that socioeconomic factors and chronic absenteeism are the primary drivers of these disparities, not class size, as student-teacher ratios are consistent across all schools.
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