The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in English language arts. The lowest is 34% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dequincy Middle School
DeQuincy Middle School serves students in grades six through eight in the northern part of Calcasieu Parish. The school is a regular public school, part of the Calcasieu Parish Public Schools system, and is located in the small city of DeQuincy. The town, which originated as a railroad settlement, has a population that has been in a slow decline over the last several decades, and its economy is still anchored by the railroads and timber industry. The community is car-dependent, with a rural classification, and its built environment is oriented along the state highways that run through its center. The middle school sits alongside the town’s other public schools, which include an elementary, a primary, and a high school.
The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Black students and a modest share of students who identify with other racial or ethnic groups. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the economic context that families in the area navigate. The school enrolls just over two hundred students across the three middle grades, with the sixth and eighth grade classes each being a bit larger than the seventh.
On the state’s LEAP 2025 assessments, which measure proficiency in core academic subjects, the school’s results show a mixed picture. In English language arts, more than half of students scored at the proficient level or above, which is a clear strength. In mathematics, about a third of students reached that same bar, and in science the proficiency rate was in a similar range. Social studies fell between those two subjects, with a rate that was not as high as English but not as low as math and science. Because the data covers only a single school year, there is no information available on whether these results represent an improvement or a decline. A parent may want to discuss with the school how these numbers compare to prior years and what the school’s academic priorities are for the subjects where proficiency is lower.
A comparison of this school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects against other schools in Calcasieu Parish places it in a higher position relative to others in the district. That means that among the schools for which this comparison was possible, DeQuincy Middle School’s academic performance stands toward the stronger end of the range. No data was available for chronic absenteeism or graduation rate, which is expected for a school that does not serve high school grades and where attendance data was not reported in the available records.
The school’s parent district, Calcasieu Parish, has been through notable changes in recent years. Voters renewed two property tax millages in late 2024, a move that did not raise rates but secured ongoing funding for teacher salaries and school operations. The district also implemented a districtwide literacy initiative over the past few years, which was recognized with an award in early 2025, signaling a sustained focus on reading instruction across all grade levels. Additionally, in the wake of Hurricanes Laura and Delta, the district passed a budget that was significantly larger than usual, driven by FEMA rebuilding funds, and used it to renovate or rebuild at least ten school facilities. These developments have lasting implications for the physical and instructional environment that a student at DeQuincy Middle School will experience.
For a family considering DeQuincy Middle School, the picture is one of a small, rural school in a town that has seen economic stability but also long-term population decline. The academic results are strongest in English, with room for growth in math and science, and the surrounding district has made investments in both literacy instruction and school infrastructure. A parent who values a small-school setting in a tight-knit, car-dependent community and who wants to understand the academic trajectory further will want to engage with the school about its approach to the subjects where proficiency is lower.
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