The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Scott M. Brame Middle School
Scott M. Brame Middle School serves students in the central Louisiana city of Alexandria as a regular public school for grades six through eight. It operates within Rapides Parish, the county-wide school system that encompasses the city and surrounding areas. The school is one of several middle schools in the district and draws from the surrounding residential neighborhoods of Alexandria, a mid-sized regional hub whose economy is anchored by health care, government, and manufacturing rather than a single dominant industry.
Academic performance on Louisiana’s LEAP 2025 assessments, based on the most recent testing year available, shows a mixed picture. In English language arts, roughly two out of every five students scored at the proficient level or above, a rate that is the strongest among the four tested subjects. Mathematics proficiency was measurably lower, with about one in four students meeting the bar. Science and social studies both posted weaker results, with science particularly soft. Only a single year of test data was available for review, so there is no trend to examine. Parents considering the school may want to discuss with the school how it addresses areas of lower performance, especially in math and science, and what supports are in place for students who are not yet on grade level.
The student body is diverse. A majority of students are Black, roughly three in ten are White, and smaller shares are Asian or Hispanic. The school serves a population where economic need is substantial: approximately three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that places the school in a high-poverty context. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so that picture remains incomplete. Enrollment is typical for a mid-size middle school in the region, with a roughly even distribution across the three grades.
No information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or staffing was available. Without those measures, a parent cannot assess the school’s climate or student engagement from this data alone. The school is not a charter or magnet, and its Title I status was not reported. Rapides Parish as a district had no recently reported major policy changes or program shifts that were publicly documented.
The community context matters for families weighing this school. Alexandria is auto-oriented, with limited street life and a layout that makes a car necessary for most errands. Housing is notably affordable relative to national benchmarks: home values are well below the national median, and rents are moderate. The city has experienced a modest population decline in recent years, and development is steady but not rapid. The regional airport, hospitals, and the presence of Louisiana State University at Alexandria provide some civic anchors, but the area does not have the growth pressures or housing cost strain seen in larger metro areas.
For a family, Scott M. Brame Middle School sits in a community where housing is accessible and the cost of living is low, but the academic results suggest that many students are not yet reaching proficiency targets, particularly in math and science. The school’s strengths lie in ELA, where outcomes are closer to typical middle-school levels. The high share of students in poverty is a factor that correlates with academic challenges, and parents may want to ask what targeted interventions, tutoring, or enrichment programs the school offers. Without trend data or measures of school climate, a full picture is hard to draw from this single year of test scores alone.
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