Summary:
This analysis covers six elementary schools in the 71203 zip code of Monroe, Louisiana, serving grades PK through 6, and highlights a stark performance divide between the two school districts that serve the area.
The standout school in the area is Swartz Upper Elementary School, the only school in the zip code to earn a 3-star rating. It is the only school to score at or above the state average in any subject, achieving 73% proficiency in English Language Arts. In contrast, Roy Neal Shelling Senior Elementary is the most challenged, receiving a 0-star rating with critically low test scores, including only 22% proficiency in Math and 16% in Social Studies. The data reveals a clear district divide: the three schools in the Ouachita Parish district (including Lakeshore School and Jack Hayes Elementary School) consistently outperform the two schools in the City of Monroe School District (Cypress Point Elementary School and Roy Neal Shelling), despite all schools serving high-poverty populations.
Chronic absenteeism is a key factor, averaging 17.4% across the zip code, which is better than the state average. Jack Hayes Elementary has the best attendance rate at 9.7%, while Roy Neal Shelling has the worst at 26.3%. Interestingly, Swartz Lower Elementary School and Swartz Upper form a successful feeder pattern within the Ouachita Parish district, achieving strong results despite Swartz Upper having the highest student-teacher ratio (17.6:1). A notable bright spot is Cypress Point Elementary, where 6th-grade Math proficiency (71%) is the highest of any grade level in any school in the zip code, suggesting a potential area of instructional strength.
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