Southern University Lab School, Baton Rouge LA

Original Research by School Decision on Southern University Lab School

Southern University Lab School is a public school serving pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade on the Baton Rouge campus of Southern University, the state’s flagship historically Black university. It operates under the university system rather than the East Baton Rouge Parish school district, functioning as a laboratory school with a direct university connection. The enrollment is small for a school spanning all grade levels, and class sizes across elementary, middle, and high school remain small as well.

Baton Rouge is Louisiana’s state capital, a city that blends government and university life with a heavy industrial presence along the Mississippi River. Major economic sectors include petrochemicals, health care, logistics, and technology. The city is home to both Louisiana State University and Southern University, and the lab school sits on Southern’s campus north of downtown, in a part of the city shaped by the university and the river’s industrial corridor. Neighborhoods range from historic areas near downtown to sprawling suburban development farther out, and the city is largely car-dependent aside from walkable pockets near the Capitol, downtown, and the LSU lakes.

The student body is almost entirely Black, and about half of students come from households with incomes low enough to qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The school’s all-grades structure means students move through elementary, middle, and high school together in a close-knit setting. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, which limits the picture of student support needs.

State testing results from the LEAP 2025 assessments in grades three through eight offer a snapshot of academic performance. The school’s strongest showing was in English language arts, where the share of students reaching proficiency was the highest among the four tested subjects, though still below half. In math, the proficiency rate was lower. In science and social studies, roughly one in four students met the state’s bar. When the school’s proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades are combined into an overall index, that index lands above the midpoint relative to districts in East Baton Rouge Parish. In other words, within the local public school landscape, Southern University Lab School’s overall performance sits in the middle tier. A parent looking at the absolute proficiency rates may want to discuss with the school how it supports students who are not yet at the proficient level, especially in math and science.

The available data does not include high school course offerings, Advanced Placement or dual enrollment opportunities, or college readiness metrics. Because the school is a lab school affiliated with a university, it may offer unique pathways, but that is not confirmed in the information provided. Publicly reported information about district-level changes, property tax initiatives, or curriculum shifts was not found, so a parent may want to check directly with the school for updates.

For families considering this school, the main draws are its small size, its direct association with Southern University, and the continuity of a single campus from pre-kindergarten through high school. The student population is racially homogeneous and draws substantially from lower-income households, which may appeal to some families and be a factor others weigh. Academic performance in the middle grades is modest relative to state expectations but sits around the local median. A parent would want to explore the high school’s course offerings and graduation outcomes directly with the school to fill in the picture.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 34 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

355 schools plotted. 10 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grades 3-829%

School 29% · district not reported

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

English language arts

Grades 3-840%

School 40% · district not reported

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Science

Grades 3-823%

School 23% · district not reported

even with state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Social studies

Grades 3-826%

School 26% · district not reported

even with state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

This schoolSouthern University Lab School, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income64%23 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income14%Higher-income64%50 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income30%Higher-income33%3 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income67%28 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income46%Higher-income21%25 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income35%Higher-income45%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income73%40 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income7%Higher-income27%20 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income35%Higher-income13%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income22%Higher-income46%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income27%Higher-income21%6 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income26%Higher-income34%8 pp gap