Summary:
Zip code 71302 in Alexandria, LA, is home to six elementary schools serving grades PK-8 within the Rapides Parish school district, a district ranked in the top 30% of Louisiana, and presents a starkly divided educational landscape with both top-tier and struggling schools.
For parents, the standout choice is Phoenix Magnet Elementary School, a 5-star school ranking in the top 1% of the state with near-perfect test scores, though its magnet status and lower poverty rate (47% free/reduced lunch) set it apart. Another excellent option is Poland Junior High School, a 4-star school serving PK-8 that achieves top-tier results despite a 79.7% poverty rate and boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (2.1%) in the zip code. Peabody Montessori Elementary School is also a strong 4-star performer. In contrast, Martin Park Elementary School is the most challenged, with a 0-star rating and critically low test scores (29% math proficiency). Acadian Elementary and Alma Redwine Elementary also struggle, with Acadian having the highest chronic absenteeism rate (33.9%) in the area.
The key takeaway is that chronic absenteeism is the strongest predictor of low performance, with the top schools having rates under 6% and the bottom schools exceeding 17%. While Alma Redwine Elementary shows a glimmer of hope with an upward trend in state rankings, the performance gap between the top two schools and the bottom three is massive—for example, top schools are over twice as proficient in math. This data reveals a "tale of two systems" where a high-performing magnet school coexists with high-poverty neighborhood schools, making school choice critical for parents in this zip code.
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