Ouachita Parish

The Ouachita Parish school district in Louisiana encompasses 36 schools, including 22 elementary schools, 9 middle schools, and 5 high schools, serving students from diverse backgrounds. While the district as a whole performs slightly above the state average on standardized tests, there are significant disparities in academic achievement across the schools.

The top-performing schools in the district are Sterlington Elementary School and Claiborne School, which rank in the top 5% and 10% of Louisiana elementary schools, respectively, with over 80% proficiency in math and English language arts. At the middle school level, West Ridge Middle School and Sterlington Middle School are the top performers, ranking in the top 10-15% of Louisiana middle schools. The highest-performing high school is Sterlington High School, which ranks in the top 5% of Louisiana high schools.

In contrast, some schools in the Ouachita Parish district, such as Richwood High School, Shady Grove Elementary, and Swayze Elementary, serve predominantly African American and economically disadvantaged student populations and struggle with lower academic performance. This highlights the persistent achievement gap in the district and the need for targeted interventions to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students.