The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Anderson Middle School
Anderson Middle School is a regular public school in New Iberia, Louisiana, serving seventh and eighth graders under the Iberia Parish school system. It is a standard middle school, not a magnet or charter, and it operates within a district that, based on publicly reported information, does not appear to have undergone major recent structural changes that a parent would need to track.
The academic picture comes from state testing administered through Louisiana’s LEAP 2025 assessments. In the most recent year for which data is available, the proportion of students reaching proficiency across all four tested subjects—math, English language arts, science, and social studies—was notably low. English language arts had the highest rate of any subject, while math, science, and social studies each had similar, lower rates. Participation rates were high, meaning nearly all students took the tests, so the results reflect the full student cohort. Only a single year of data is available, so there is no trend line to show whether performance is improving or declining. A parent would want to ask the school about its strategies to raise student achievement, particularly in math and science, where proficiency rates were among the lowest.
The student body is relatively small for a two-grade middle school. The composition is predominantly Black, with White students making up a meaningful minority and smaller shares of Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with high economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed, which is a gap a family may want to investigate directly with the school.
New Iberia is the parish seat of Iberia Parish and sits along Bayou Teche. Its economy has long been tied to agriculture, especially sugar cane, and to food-production heritage including hot sauce brands and the Tabasco factory on nearby Avery Island. The city’s population has been declining over recent decades, and no major new housing developments were identified in publicly available sources. Housing values in the area are below state and national benchmarks, and rents are relatively low compared to national medians, making this a more affordable market for families. The city has a historic downtown, civic spaces like Bouligny Plaza, and a cultural museum, but specific walkability and street-life data were not available.
A parent considering Anderson Middle School should be aware that the academic results are soft. The school’s proficiency rates are well below what many families would hope for, and the high poverty rate suggests that the school may be working with limited resources and additional student needs. At the same time, the school is a regular public school within a parish district, not an alternative or special-population school, so these results reflect the mainstream instructional environment. The housing market is affordable, and the community is stable but not growing. Families who value a small middle school setting in a low-cost area may find the location practical, but they will want to have a direct conversation with school leadership about academic support, intervention programs, and how the school is working to improve outcomes. There is no comparison possible among districts within Iberia Parish, as no other district exists in the county for comparison on these metrics.
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