Summary:
Zip code 71446 in Leesville, Louisiana, is home to two high schools within the highly-rated Vernon Parish school district, serving a combined 1,127 students in grades 7 through 12.
Leesville High School is the standout school in the area, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the top 25% of Louisiana high schools. With 748 students, it significantly outperforms its smaller counterpart, Pickering High School, in state rankings (81st vs. 114th) and boasts a higher graduation rate (92.5% vs. 85.1%). Leesville High excels in math and English, with Algebra I (74%), Geometry (72%), and English I (80%) scores well above state averages. However, its English II score (68%) lags behind the district average. Pickering High, serving grades 7-12, is a solid 3-star school with a notable strength in English, achieving an 83% proficiency in English II—the highest single-subject score in the zip code. Its overall math scores are dragged down by struggling 7th and 8th-grade students, though its high school Algebra I score (63%) is more competitive.
The most pressing concern for both schools is chronic absenteeism, with rates of 38.7% at Leesville High and 43.3% at Pickering High—nearly double the state average of 22.5%. This issue likely contributes to lower performance in subjects like Biology at Leesville (63%) and math at Pickering. Despite this, both schools maintain exceptionally low dropout rates (0.2% and 0.0%, respectively), far below the state average of 3.1%. While the Vernon Parish district provides a strong framework, these schools face school-level challenges that parents should consider, particularly in math and science instruction at Pickering and in Biology at Leesville.
Thank you for your feedback!