The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Social studies. The lowest is 31% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Welsh-roanoke Junior High School
Welsh-Roanoke Junior High School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the rural, unincorporated community of Roanoke, Louisiana, within Jefferson Davis Parish. The school draws its name from the small town of Welsh and the far smaller community of Roanoke, where the campus sits along a main highway. Roanoke is a very small, unincorporated census-designated place that has seen a population decline over the past decade. It is a residential area with minimal commercial activity, no downtown district, and limited civic infrastructure such as a post office and little else. Families in this area live in a rural setting where school and home are connected by highway travel, and the local housing market has home values well below both state and national medians.
The student body of this junior high is predominantly white, with a notable Black minority and a small share of students identifying as two or more races. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is substantial, reflecting the economic realities of a community where per capita income has historically been below national averages. The total enrollment is in the low hundreds, spread roughly evenly across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. State data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the school’s reporting, which is a gap a parent may want to ask the school about directly.
On state assessments administered through the LEAP 2025 program, Welsh-Roanoke Junior High students showed proficiency rates across subjects that were under two-fifths. In English language arts, just over a third of students scored at the proficient or above level. In math, the rate was lower, at about three in ten. Science posted a similar figure, near three in ten, while social studies came in slightly higher, approaching two-fifths. It is worth noting that for social studies, the state changed its cut scores in this cycle, so comparisons to prior years are not straightforward. The school had full participation on all tests, which means the results reflect the entire tested population. The single-year snapshot available here provides no trend, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent a change from prior performance.
For a family considering this school, the academic picture is one of modest proficiency levels that are below what many parents hope to see. A parent may want to investigate what academic supports, intervention programs, or enrichment opportunities are available, especially since there is no public information in the data about course access, staffing ratios, or program offerings. The school’s status as a regular public school in a small rural district means that options for alternative school choice within the parish are likely limited.
The broader Jefferson Davis Parish school district did not have any recent parent-relevant changes reported, such as new strategic plans, curriculum shifts, or boundary adjustments, that would affect this campus. The community of Roanoke itself is not growing, and the parish’s rural character means that for most families, Welsh-Roanoke Junior High is the neighborhood school for this part of the parish. A family moving here should expect a midsized junior high in a quiet, low-cost rural setting, with academic results that suggest room for growth and that warrant a direct conversation with school staff about how they support students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks.
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