Summary:
Zip code 71261, covering the Mer Rouge area, contains a single school, Delta Elementary School, which serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade within the Morehouse Parish district.
Delta Elementary School is a high-poverty school with 82% of its 442 students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and it faces significant academic challenges. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 4% of all Louisiana elementary schools over the past three years, earning a 0-star rating. Test proficiency rates are well below state averages: only 28% of students are proficient in Mathematics (compared to 62% statewide) and 38% in English Language Arts (compared to 70% statewide). The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 24.4% is slightly above the state average of 22.5% but notably better than the district average of 31.4%.
Despite a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.1:1, which suggests potential for individualized attention, academic outcomes remain among the lowest in the state. A consistent bright spot is that the school performs better in English Language Arts than in Mathematics, with a 10-percentage-point gap in proficiency. The school also underperforms its own district, which itself ranks below the state average. While the high poverty rate and absenteeism present major hurdles, the relatively lower chronic absenteeism compared to the district suggests some effective attendance initiatives may be in place, though these have not yet translated into academic gains.
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