Summary:
The two schools in zip code 71346, located in Lecompte, LA, are Rapides High School (grades 9-12) and Carter C. Raymond Junior High School (grades PK-8), both part of the Rapides Parish school district, which holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 76th percentile statewide.
Rapides High School stands out for its strong 90.4% graduation rate and a low 1.5% dropout rate, both better than state averages. However, it struggles with a 34.4% chronic absenteeism rate, far exceeding the district and state. Academically, the school shows a split: it performs near or above state averages in Algebra I (63%) and Geometry (58%), but lags in English II (48%) and Biology (52%). In contrast, Carter C. Raymond Junior High School has a very low 7:1 student-teacher ratio but overall low state rankings (36th percentile). It exhibits extreme variability, with 6th grade achieving 93% proficiency in math and 100% in English Language Arts, yet 8th grade proficiency plummets to 45% in math and just 18% in social studies, suggesting a "performance cliff" before high school.
Both schools serve high-poverty populations, with 80.65% of students at Rapides High and 96.77% at Carter C. Raymond eligible for free or reduced lunch. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern at both schools (34.4% and 30.6%, respectively), likely driving overall low performance. The paradox at Carter C. Raymond is that despite small class sizes, the challenges of extreme poverty and absenteeism appear to outweigh the benefits, though pockets of excellence in specific grades show that when students attend, they can achieve at very high levels. For parents, this area offers a high school with a solid graduation rate and a junior high with potential for exceptional learning in certain grades, but both schools face significant attendance and economic hurdles.
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