The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Duplessis Primary School
Duplessis Primary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Gonzales, Louisiana, as a regular public school in the Ascension Parish system. The school sits on the edge of a fast-growing community that mixes residential subdivisions with a heavy commercial corridor along Highway 30 and Airline Highway, anchored by the Tanger Outlets and a growing collection of national retailers and medical facilities. Gonzales, positioned on Interstate 10 about midway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, has seen its population rise over the past several years and is actively developing a new comprehensive plan to manage that growth. The city is car-dependent, with limited walkability, and its civic life centers on destination spots like Jambalaya Park and festival grounds rather than a pedestrian downtown.
The student body at Duplessis Primary is diverse, drawing from the surrounding neighborhoods. The overall enrollment makes it a mid-sized elementary school for its grade band. The racial and ethnic composition includes a near even split between White students and Black students, with a substantial Hispanic presence and smaller shares of students who are Asian, American Indian, or of two or more races. Just over half of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in the range of moderate economic need for the area. Data on the share of students with Individualized Education Programs or English learner status were not available in the source materials, so families who want to understand the school’s special education or English language support should ask the school directly.
Academically, Duplessis Primary participates in Louisiana’s LEAP 2025 assessments for grades three through five. The 2024-25 results show a mixed picture. In English language arts, the proficiency rate—the share of students scoring at the highest two performance levels—was notably stronger than in other subjects. More than half of tested students met that bar. In math, about a third were proficient, and in science and social studies, the rates were lower, each under half. The school had full participation on testing day. Because the data includes only a single year of results and the state reported a cut-score change in social studies that makes trend comparisons unreliable, there is no way to gauge whether these scores represent improvement or decline from past years. The school serves only grades PK through five, so there is no graduation rate to report.
The surrounding housing market reflects the broader growth pressures in Ascension Parish. Home values in the area run above the national median, and rents have risen as well, though the area remains more affordable than the Baton Rouge metro core. A mix of new apartment complexes and newer single-family subdivisions are being built, and the city’s industrial pipeline—including major investments on the west side of the parish—is expected to keep housing demand strong. For families, this means the neighborhood around Duplessis Primary is likely to continue changing, with new construction and rising prices a factor in the local market.
What is not available in the data may matter as much as what is. Information on disciplinary incidents, chronic absenteeism, teacher experience, class sizes, and the availability of specialized programs like gifted, arts, or extended learning was absent from the source materials. The school’s Title I status was not reported, and there were no civil rights data to examine. A family looking closely at this school would want to supplement this portrait with a direct call to the school or a visit to understand the full support structure.
Duplessis Primary is a suburban, diverse elementary school in a high-growth corner of Louisiana. The strengths lie in English language arts, where a clear majority of students are meeting the state’s proficiency bar. The math and science results are areas where a parent may want to ask the school about its curriculum and intervention strategies. For families moving to the Gonzales area, the school offers a regular public-school setting in a community that is expanding rapidly, with all the opportunities and pressures that come with that growth.
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