The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on South Plaquemines Elementary School
South Plaquemines Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Port Sulphur, a small unincorporated community at the southern end of Plaquemines Parish. The school is a regular public school within the Plaquemines Parish district. Its enrollment is modest for a school of this grade span, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The student body is majority Black, with White students making up the next largest group, followed by smaller shares of Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Asian students.
The school sits in a community that was originally a company town built around the Freeport Sulphur Company. That operation shut down in the early 2000s, and the town was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed nearly all single-family homes. Post-Katrina rebuilding was heavy on FEMA trailers and modular homes, and the population has declined substantially over the long term. Much of the original town site is now vacant. The local economy is limited, with the parish government, the school board, and small businesses along Louisiana Highway 23 as the main sources of employment.
State testing results for the 2024-25 school year show proficiency rates across all four tested subjects that fall in the bottom quartile relative to other districts within Plaquemines Parish. In English language arts, roughly a third of students scored at the proficient level. In math, the rate was a bit lower. Science and social studies proficiency rates were lower still. Because this is the only year of data available for this school, it is not yet possible to see a trend. Test participation was complete, meaning all enrolled students took the assessments, which gives the results a full picture of the school’s performance. The school has no data on chronic absenteeism or special education and English learner enrollment, which may simply not be reported rather than absent, but a parent who wants a fuller sense of student support may wish to ask the school about these areas directly.
As an elementary-only school, there is no graduation rate to report and no high school course offerings such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, or career pathways. Those options would be available only at South Plaquemines High School, which is located in Empire, a short drive south. The absence of a traditional walkable downtown or public transit means that families rely on personal vehicles for all trips, including school drop-off and pick-up.
For a parent weighing this school, the primary considerations are the setting and the academic picture. The school is the local elementary for a rural, low-density community that has experienced decades of population loss and economic hardship. The academic proficiency levels are low compared to the other district in the parish, and a parent may want to ask what academic interventions or support programs are in place. The school building itself is embedded in the linear layout along the highway, on what was originally company property, alongside the parish government building and the library branch. The housing market in Port Sulphur is notably less expensive than state and national benchmarks, which may be a practical factor for some families, though the community’s long-term trajectory of decline and limited local employment is a separate consideration.
There is little publicly available information about recent district-level changes, strategic priorities, or school-specific program offerings. What is clear is that South Plaquemines Elementary provides foundational education for young students in a rural parish with a thin economic base and a small, concentrated student population. The numbers on the page tell a story of a school serving a vulnerable community with academic results that lag significantly behind the only other district in the parish. A family considering this school would be well served to speak directly with the principal or district staff about academic support, class sizes, and the school’s own priorities for improvement.
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