The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Dr. Raphael A. Baranco Elementary School
Dr. Raphael A. Baranco Elementary School is a regular public school in Lafayette, Louisiana, serving kindergarten through sixth grade. It is part of Lafayette Parish, the city-parish consolidated government that functions as the economic and cultural center of the Acadian region. The school sits on Mudd Avenue, a location in an area of Lafayette that parents may want to explore to understand the immediate neighborhood context.
Enrollment at Baranco Elementary is moderate for a K-through-six school. The student body reflects a specific demographic profile: the large majority of students are Black, and the remainder is made up of Hispanic, white, and multiracial students in much smaller numbers. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on the share of students with Individualized Education Programs or who are English learners was not reported in the available source, so parents should ask the school directly about the availability of targeted support services.
On the LEAP 2025 state assessments, Baranco’s results in reading and math are soft. The proportion of students scoring at the proficient level or above, which Louisiana defines as Levels 4 and 5, was below what many families would consider a typical benchmark. In science and social studies, the share of students reaching that threshold was notably lower. In all subjects, virtually every enrolled student participated in testing, which means the results reflect the whole tested population. Because only one year of data was available, there is no trend line to examine; these results represent a single snapshot of where students stood.
When placed against other elementary schools across Lafayette Parish, Baranco’s overall proficiency index—the average proficiency rate across all tested subjects—falls in the bottom quartile of the six-district comparison set the state uses. This is not a surprise given the school-level numbers. What this means in practical terms is that the typical student at Baranco is not meeting grade-level benchmarks in academic skills, and a parent considering this school should expect that the school will be working to close that gap. A parent may want to follow up with the school to understand which interventions or academic supports are in place.
Lafayette itself is a city that blends a traditional Cajun cultural identity with a diversified economy anchored by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, major healthcare systems, and technology employers. The housing market within the city-parish has shown a slight decline in median home values over the past year, while rental prices have edged upward. The school’s zip-code area sits at a lower price point than the state average for home values, which reflects the economic characteristics of the neighborhood.
The district, Lafayette Parish, did not provide any publicly reported recent strategic changes or major new initiatives in the available records. Parents looking for information about programming, after-school options, or specials should check directly with the school office, as no detailed program offerings were listed in the data.
Baranco Elementary is a school with a clear starting point: it serves a high-needs population and is grappling with low levels of academic proficiency on state assessments. For a parent whose priority is a school that has demonstrated strong test results or a rigorous academic track, this may not be a strong match. For a parent who is weighing local neighborhood access and is prepared to be actively engaged with the school’s improvement efforts, it is a school worth learning more about through a visit.
See more original research from School Decision →