The top reported proficiency rate is 81% in English language arts. The lowest is 65% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Sherwood Middle Academic Academy
Sherwood Middle Academic Academy, a regular public school in Baton Rouge serving sixth through eighth grade, sits within the East Baton Rouge Parish school system. The school’s name includes “Academic Academy,” but it is not a magnet or charter school; it is a neighborhood middle school drawing from a surrounding area of Louisiana’s capital city. Baton Rouge itself is a consolidated city-parish that functions as the state’s seat of government, a university town anchored by Louisiana State University and Southern University, and a petrochemical and industrial hub along the Mississippi River. The city’s built environment is largely car-dependent, with walkable pockets near downtown and the LSU campus, while most residential areas are low-density suburban sprawl. The school’s zip code, on the city’s east side near the intersection of major highways, reflects a mixed-use corridor with a blend of older subdivisions and commercial strips.
Academically, Sherwood Middle posts results that stand well above typical performance for middle schools in East Baton Rouge Parish. On the state’s LEAP 2025 assessments, the proportion of students scoring at proficient or advanced levels is strong across all four tested subjects. English language arts is the highest, with a large majority of students meeting the bar. Math and social studies also show solid proficiency, and science, while slightly lower, still clears a clear majority. When the school is compared to other districts within East Baton Rouge Parish—the county-level comparison set available—its overall proficiency index lands in the top quartile. That positioning matters because the parish contains a wide range of schools, from high-performing magnets to schools facing deeper challenges, so Sherwood Middle sits comfortably among the stronger performers. The school achieved full participation on every state test, which signals consistent administration and no systematic opt-out patterns.
The student body is notably diverse. Black students make up the largest share, followed by white students, then a sizable Asian population, a smaller Hispanic group, and small numbers of multiracial, Native American, and Pacific Islander students. Roughly two out of every five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a moderate range on the socioeconomic spectrum—not a school of concentrated poverty, but not an affluent one either. The data does not include counts for students with disabilities or English learners, so a family with a child who receives special education services or who is learning English should ask the school directly about those programs. No information on discipline incidents, chronic absenteeism, or staffing ratios is available, so those dimensions of school environment cannot be assessed from the public data provided.
Because Sherwood Middle is a middle school only, there is no graduation rate or high school course access to report. The school does not appear to offer specialized magnet programs or career pathways, at least not in the data supplied; the “Academic Academy” label does not come with a distinct program description in the records. A parent interested in advanced coursework, electives, or extracurriculars should contact the school. The district brief for East Baton Rouge Parish turned up no recent policy changes, boundary shifts, or bond measures that would alter the landscape for families; the district’s decisions in the past several years appear not to have made local news in a way that directly affects this school.
Housing in the area around Sherwood Middle is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks. Home values in the zip code are slightly above the Louisiana state average but well below the national median. Rents have been rising faster than home values, a pattern common across much of the country. For a family considering a move to this attendance zone, the housing market offers relatively affordable entry points compared to many metro areas, though Baton Rouge’s broader economic context includes a mix of stable government employment, university jobs, and industrial sector work, with a modest recent population decline within the city limits even as the metro area grows.
Sherwood Middle Academic Academy presents as a solid, above-average middle school within a large and varied parish. The test results give a clear signal of strong academic foundations, especially in reading and writing. The diversity of the student body may appeal to families seeking a genuinely multiracial school environment. The missing data points around special populations and school climate mean that a thorough visit and conversation with staff will be important for any family with specific support needs or concerns about student experience. For a middle schooler who thrives in a setting where most peers are performing at grade level or above, and where the school’s overall trajectory is upward relative to its parish peers, this is a school worth considering seriously.
See more original research from School Decision →