The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in English language arts. The lowest is 34% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ridge Elementary School
Ridge Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Duson, a small town that straddles Acadia and Lafayette parishes. The school is part of the Lafayette Parish school system and operates as a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Its enrollment is moderate for an elementary school, drawing from a largely residential community that is car-dependent and family-oriented. The town itself has a modest economic profile, with median household income below state and national averages and a homeownership rate that reflects its working-class character. Duson’s largest employment sectors are construction, accommodation and food services, and other services, and the town holds an annual Mardi Gras parade that draws visitors from nearby communities.
On state assessments administered through Louisiana’s LEAP 2025 program, Ridge Elementary’s results show a mixed picture. In English language arts, just over half of students scored at the proficient level or above, which is the strongest subject performance for the school. Math proficiency was a little lower, with more than two-fifths of students meeting that benchmark. Science showed about a third of students reaching proficiency, and social studies came in at two-fifths. Participation rates were near universal, so the results reflect nearly the entire tested population. When compared across districts within Lafayette Parish, Ridge Elementary’s overall proficiency across tested subjects places it in the top quarter. Parents should note that this comparison is based on a single year of data and that the school does not yet have multi-year trends available, so it is hard to know whether these results represent a stable pattern or a single snapshot.
The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Black students and Hispanic students, with smaller proportions of Asian students and those identifying with two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a marker of the community’s economic circumstances. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or English learner support were not reported in the available records, so a parent interested in those programs should reach out to the school directly for details. Because Ridge Elementary serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or college readiness data to consider.
The school environment measures such as chronic absenteeism and discipline were not available. The single-year nature of the academic data also means that year-over-year improvement or decline cannot yet be assessed. For a family weighing elementary options, the school’s academic profile is mixed: English language arts is a relative strength, while math and science show room for growth. The school’s overall proficiency standing is strong when set against other Lafayette Parish schools, but the absolute proficiency rates in several subjects are areas a parent may want to discuss with the principal or classroom teachers.
The town of Duson offers a small-town setting with limited commercial street life and no major public parks or library identified in available sources; families may rely on parish-level amenities in Lafayette or nearby communities. Housing values in Duson are below the national median, and home prices have risen modestly in recent years. The school itself sits on South Fieldspan Road, and the town’s civic anchors include Town Hall and a local Catholic church. There were no recent district-level changes reported for Lafayette Parish that would affect Ridge Elementary. For a family seeking a solid, neighborhood elementary school in a low-key, car-dependent town, Ridge Elementary fits that description, with academic results that are strongest in reading and writing and slightly weaker in math and science.
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