The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in Science. The lowest is 11% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Zion City School a Redesign School
Zion City School A Redesign School is a small charter middle school in Baton Rouge, serving grades six through eight. It operates as its own independent charter district, and the school’s recent history includes a name change and a move to a new campus on Cadillac Street in the historically Black Zion City neighborhood. The school is publicly reported to have ceased operation as of mid-2024, meaning this profile describes a school that families may no longer be able to access. A reader should verify current enrollment options with the Louisiana Department of Education.
The school enrolled a small student body. Nearly all students identify as Black, and a very small share are Hispanic. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high-need population. The school is situated in Baton Rouge, the state capital, a city that blends state government, Louisiana State University, industrial operations along the Mississippi River, and a range of neighborhoods from historic downtown to suburban sprawl. The immediate area around the Cadillac Street campus is residential and auto-oriented, typical of much of the city.
State assessment results for the most recent school year show that proficiency rates across tested subjects and grades sit well below the midpoint among districts in East Baton Rouge Parish. In math, the share of students scoring at proficient or advanced levels was very low in each grade. English language arts results followed a similar pattern, with a small share reaching proficiency in sixth grade and single-digit shares in seventh and eighth grades. Science performance was somewhat higher in sixth grade, but still low. Overall, the school’s proficiency index placed it below the midpoint relative to other districts in the parish. A parent may want to discuss the school’s instructional supports and academic interventions with the school or the district to understand what is being done to address these results.
Because Zion City School serves only middle grades, there is no high school graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was not available in the profile, so that dimension of student engagement cannot be characterized here. The profile also did not include information on special education or English learner populations, course offerings, or staffing ratios. These are meaningful gaps for any family considering the school, and a parent may wish to follow up directly.
The district brief indicates that Redesign Schools Louisiana ceased operation of Glen Oaks Middle School, which renamed itself to Zion City School, as of the end of the 2023-24 school year. The school board voted for the name change to reflect the Zion City neighborhood where the relocated campus sits. Residual financial matters were being negotiated with the state. The practical upshot is that this charter middle school is no longer actively enrolling students, pending any future developments.
In short, Zion City School A Redesign School was a small, high-poverty charter middle school for a predominantly Black student body in Baton Rouge. Its academic proficiency numbers were low across the board and below the typical range for the parish. The school faced closure soon after the data was collected, and families looking for a middle school option in the Glen Oaks or Zion City areas should check with the East Baton Rouge Parish school system or the Louisiana Department of Education for current alternatives.
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