Summary:
The 15 schools in zip code 71202 (Monroe, LA) serve a community facing profound economic challenges, with over 88% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and are split between the City of Monroe School District (ranked 91st in Louisiana) and the higher-performing Ouachita Parish (ranked 38th), plus one alternative school under the Office of Juvenile Justice.
The standout school in the area is Swayze Elementary School, the only school to earn a 2-star rating and achieve 75% ELA proficiency—matching the state average—despite a 92% poverty rate. In contrast, Martin Luther King Junior High School excels in math, with an 85% Algebra I proficiency rate that far exceeds district and state averages. Wossman High School shows improvement, rising to the 34th percentile with a 92.4% graduation rate, but its 42.5% chronic absenteeism rate is the highest in the zip code. Barkdull Faulk Elementary School made the largest one-year math gain, jumping from 35% to 58% proficiency. Overall, Ouachita Parish schools like Robinson Elementary School and Shady Grove Elementary School consistently outperform City of Monroe schools such as Carver Elementary School and Minnie Ruffin Elementary School in both ELA and math.
Key concerns include chronic absenteeism averaging 19.5% across traditional schools, with Berg Jones Elementary School and Madison James Foster Elementary School also showing elevated rates. Social Studies is a universal weakness, with only 31% proficiency across all schools, well below the state average of 55%. The Southside Alternative High School operates under a different mission, with an 18% graduation rate and 23.3% dropout rate, making its metrics incomparable to traditional schools. For parents, Richwood High School and Richwood Junior High School in Ouachita Parish offer stronger district support, while Thomas Jefferson Elementary and Clara Hall Accelerated School in the City of Monroe district face greater systemic challenges.
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