The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on L.s. Rugg Elementary School
L.S. Rugg Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Alexandria, Louisiana. It operates as a regular public school within the Rapides Parish school district. The school’s enrollment reflects a predominantly Black student population, with a very small share of white students and a minimal presence of other racial and ethnic groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a high-poverty category.
The academic results from the most recent state assessment year show that, across all tested subjects, the share of students scoring at proficient or above was low. The strongest results were in English language arts, where roughly one in five students met the proficiency bar. Math proficiency was lower, with about one in ten students reaching that level. Social studies results were similar to math, and science had the lowest rate, with a small fraction of students reaching proficiency. Participation in testing was complete, meaning nearly every enrolled student took the assessments. The school had only a single year of assessment data available for this look, so no trend over time was visible.
Alexandria is a mid-sized regional hub in central Louisiana that serves as a center for retail, health care, and government for a large multi-parish area. The city’s economy relies on hospitals, manufacturing, and government employment rather than a single dominant industry. The population has been declining slightly in recent years, and the city’s built environment is primarily auto-oriented. Most daily needs require a car, and the housing stock in the school’s area carries a modest price point, with rents below the state average by a notable margin. The broader district’s recent publicly reported changes were limited enough that this profile does not present any, leaving a reader to consult the district directly for any updates.
Because this is an elementary school serving only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The school’s comparison group within Rapides Parish was too small to position performance relative to other districts in the county. A parent looking to understand how L.S. Rugg compares academically to nearby schools would need to examine individual school-level results on their own, as the data available here does not provide that ranking.
The school’s proficiency rates, particularly in math and science, are areas that may warrant a closer conversation with the school or district about academic supports and interventions. For a family considering this school, the student composition is a plain characteristic of the environment, not a judgment. The most relevant takeaway is that L.S. Rugg serves a high-poverty student body and that its academic achievement, as measured by state assessments, is below the levels many families might seek. A parent should ask what programs are in place to support struggling students and what resources are available to raise proficiency across subjects.
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