Summary:
The five public schools in zip code 71282 (Tallulah, LA) serve approximately 1,133 students across elementary, middle, and high school grades within the Madison Parish school district, which is ranked in the bottom 3% of Louisiana districts and faces profound economic challenges, with an average free/reduced lunch rate of 92.3%.
Madison Middle School is the district's standout performer, boasting the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (10.6%) and the highest academic proficiency, including 58% of 8th graders proficient in English Language Arts. In contrast, Wright Elementary School is ranked in the bottom 1% of Louisiana elementary schools, with only 6% of 5th graders proficient in math and a 94.32% poverty rate. Tallulah Elementary School struggles with the highest chronic absenteeism (33.5%) and similarly low test scores. Madison High School shows inconsistent performance, with 51% proficiency in Biology but only 21% in U.S. History, and a graduation rate (81.6%) below the state average. Christian Acres Alternative School serves a high-need population with a 22.2% dropout rate but surprisingly low chronic absenteeism (12.2%), indicating attendance is not the primary issue.
A key takeaway is the "middle school cliff": while Madison Middle School outperforms district averages, these gains are not sustained at Madison High School, where proficiency drops sharply. Additionally, math proficiency at Wright Elementary plummets from 33% in 3rd grade to just 6% in 5th grade, a trend masked by the "All Grades" average. The district's favorable student-teacher ratios (6.5:1 to 12:1) suggest smaller class sizes are possible, but academic outcomes remain critically low across most subjects compared to state averages.
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