The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Crawford Elementary School
Crawford Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Arcadia, the parish seat of Bienville Parish in northern Louisiana. It is a regular public school within the Bienville Parish school district, and it shares a campus with Arcadia High School in a residential section of town, separate from the downtown core. The school’s enrollment is comparatively small for an elementary serving these grade levels, and the student body is predominantly Black, with a much smaller share of white students and very small numbers of Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students. A substantial majority of students come from low-income households, as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.
State testing results from the LEAP 2025 assessments, which cover grades three through five, provide the main academic picture. Participation was complete, so the results reflect nearly all students in the tested grades. In English language arts, slightly more than a third of students scored at the proficient level or above, a rate that places the school in the middle range among Louisiana elementary schools. In mathematics, the proficiency rate fell into a similar range, with about a third of students meeting that bar, though the state reported the math result as a band rather than a precise figure. In science, about a fifth of students reached proficiency, and in social studies, the same proportion did so. The social studies results may not be directly comparable with prior years, because Louisiana changed the cut scores for that subject. These are the only testing data available for this school, with no prior-year results to compare, so a trend is not yet visible.
Because Crawford Elementary serves only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not offer high school-level courses such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, or career pathways, since those are not part of an elementary curriculum. No information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or staffing ratios was available. A parent looking into these areas would need to ask the school or district directly. The school is not a charter and does not appear to have a magnet designation or Title I status listed in the available data.
The town of Arcadia has a compact historic downtown centered on the Bienville Parish Courthouse, the former depot museum, the library, and the post office. Monthly bluegrass performances and community events at the depot provide some civic street life, but the overall setting is a small rural town. The poultry industry has long shaped the local economy, most recently through a Pilgrim's Pride facility that was purchased by Foster Farms after the company's bankruptcy several years ago, preserving jobs. The population has been declining for decades, and housing vacancy is notable. Public transit is limited to an as-needed service. The district itself did not have recent parent-relevant changes reported in available sources.
For a family considering this school, the central facts are straightforward. Crawford Elementary serves a small, mostly low-income student body in a rural town that is losing population. Academic proficiency rates are moderate in English and math but lower in science and social studies, and a parent may want to discuss with the school how it approaches those subjects given that roughly four out of five students are not yet proficient in them. The school shares a campus with the high school, which may create some continuity for students who move up within the district. The housing market in Arcadia is affordable relative to national benchmarks, with home values well below state and national medians. The school provides no data on special education or English learner populations, so families with children who may need those services should inquire directly.
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