The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Willow Charter Academy
Willow Charter Academy is a K-8 charter school in Lafayette, Louisiana, operating as its own single-school district. It serves a student body that is predominantly Black, with a much smaller share of white students and very small numbers of Hispanic, Asian, and Native American students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is located on Northeast Evangeline Throughway, a major corridor in Lafayette, a mid-sized city that functions as the economic and cultural hub of the Acadiana region. Lafayette is car-dependent, with a walkable downtown core and a major university campus nearby, and its economy has diversified from oil and gas into technology, healthcare, and retail.
Willow Charter Academy is a regular public charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade. Because it does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school's enrollment is moderate for a K-8 campus, with classes that are generally well-populated across the elementary grades and somewhat smaller cohorts in the middle school years.
State testing results from the LEAP 2025 assessments are available for grades three through eight. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above was below the midpoint among districts in Lafayette Parish. In math, the proficiency rate was also below the midpoint. Science and social studies results were lower still, with a smaller share of students reaching the proficient bar in each subject. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across all tested subjects and grades, sits above the midpoint relative to other districts in Lafayette Parish. Because this is a single-school district, the comparison is between this school and the broader district-level averages of other parish systems. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how instruction and support are structured in the core subjects.
The school serves kindergarten through eighth grade, so there is no high school graduation rate to report. Data on special education identification and English learner status was not available. Information on chronic absenteeism and discipline was also not available. The school is a charter school, which means it operates with some autonomy from the local parish school system while remaining a public school open to all students.
Housing in the area around the school is more affordable than the national and state benchmarks. Home values in the zip code have seen a decline over the past year, while rents have increased. The national unemployment rate has been stable at a moderate level, and the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has been in a range that affects affordability for many buyers.
The school is located on Northeast Evangeline Throughway, a major road in Lafayette. Lafayette is a mid-sized city that serves as the economic and cultural center of the Acadiana region. Its economy has moved beyond its oil-and-gas roots into technology, healthcare, banking, and retail, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a major presence. The city is car-dependent, with a walkable downtown core and a university district that offer some pedestrian-friendly areas. Major employers include the university, Ochsner Health System, CGI, Amazon, and JP Morgan Chase. The city has invested in infrastructure projects and operates LUS Fiber, a municipal broadband service. The area around the school is more affordable than the national housing market, with home values below the state and national benchmarks.
Willow Charter Academy is a K-8 charter school in Lafayette with a student body that is predominantly Black and low-income. State test results show that proficiency rates in English language arts and math are below the midpoint among Lafayette Parish districts, and science and social studies results are lower still. The school's overall proficiency index, however, sits above the midpoint when compared to other districts in the parish. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate. A parent considering this school will want to understand how the school supports academic growth in the core subjects, particularly given the low science and social studies results. The school is a charter, which means it has some operational independence from the parish system. The surrounding Lafayette area offers a mix of employment sectors, a university presence, and a strong cultural identity, with housing that is relatively affordable compared to the state and nation.
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