Summary:
In zip code 71334, there is one high school, Ferriday High School, serving grades 8 through 12 in Ferriday, Louisiana, a community with a very high rate of economic disadvantage where 95.5% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
Ferriday High School presents a notable paradox: it has a strong graduation rate of 89.9% (above the state average of 85.0%) and a low dropout rate of 2.8%, yet its academic proficiency on state tests is significantly below both the Concordia Parish district and Louisiana state averages. For example, only 16% of students are proficient in Geometry compared to 57% statewide, and just 30% are proficient in English I versus 66% statewide. The school's state ranking is in the 9th percentile (296th out of 325 schools), though this is a slight improvement from the 5th percentile in 2023-2024. The school benefits from a low student-teacher ratio of 9.3, which allows for smaller class sizes, but this resource has not yet translated into higher test scores.
Key metrics show chronic absenteeism at 21.7%, slightly below the state average but above the district average of 18.9%. The most critical academic weaknesses are in STEM subjects, particularly Geometry and Biology, where proficiency rates are in the teens. The school's ability to graduate students despite low test scores suggests effective credit recovery or alternative pathways, but parents should be aware that academic mastery as measured by state exams remains a significant challenge. Overall, Ferriday High School is a school that keeps students in school and on track to graduate, but struggles to bring them to grade-level proficiency in core subjects.
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