Summary:
In zip code 71279, there is one elementary school, Start Elementary School, which serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade in the rural community of Start, Louisiana, as part of the Richland Parish school district.
Start Elementary School stands out for its strong performance in English Language Arts (ELA), where 66% of all students were proficient in the 2025-2026 school year, outpacing the district average of 61%. The school is particularly exceptional in upper-grade ELA, with 78% of 7th graders and 76% of 8th graders achieving proficiency, well above both district and state averages. However, the school shows a clear split in academic performance: while it excels in ELA, it struggles in Mathematics (47% proficient, compared to 62% statewide) and Social Studies (46% proficient, compared to 55% statewide). The school also boasts a low chronic absenteeism rate of 16.4%, significantly better than the district's 21.1% and the state's 22.5%, and a low dropout rate of 1.7% for the 2023-2024 school year. Despite these strengths, the school's state percentile ranking has declined over three years, from the 36th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 29th percentile in 2025-2026, suggesting that other schools across Louisiana are improving at a faster pace.
With 332 students and a student-teacher ratio of 16.4, Start Elementary School serves a student body where 59.64% are eligible for free or reduced lunch. The school's status as a PK-8 institution provides stability for students, as they do not transition to a separate middle school, and the strong upper-grade ELA results indicate a high-quality teaching environment for older students. The combination of low absenteeism and strong ELA performance suggests a positive school climate, though the declining state ranking and weaker math and social studies scores highlight areas for potential improvement.
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