The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in Math. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on East St. John Preparatory Academy
East St. John Preparatory Academy is a regular public school serving grades five through eight in LaPlace, Louisiana, part of the St. John the Baptist Parish school district. The school sits in an unincorporated suburban community roughly 25 miles west of New Orleans, an area built around the junction of major highways and the Mississippi River. LaPlace blends residential subdivisions with an industrial corridor anchored by petrochemical plants and the Port of South Louisiana. The community has experienced population decline in recent decades and has been repeatedly hit by hurricanes and tornadoes, most severely by Hurricane Ida in 2021. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent administrative or programmatic changes that a parent would need to track.
The school enrolls a student body that is overwhelmingly Black, with a smaller Hispanic share and a modest number of White students and students of two or more races. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a high-poverty context. Enrollment is spread fairly evenly across grades five through eight, suggesting a stable feeder pattern for the middle grades. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the record.
On state assessments administered through Louisiana’s LEAP 2025 program, proficiency rates across all tested subjects were low. In both math and English language arts, about one in six students scored at the proficient level or above. In science and social studies, the rate was about one in ten. Participation was reported at full attendance, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students. These are well below the statewide averages one would typically see, and a parent considering this school will want to understand what academic supports are in place. Because this is a middle school only, there is no graduation rate to examine. The neighbor comparison was not able to place the school relative to other districts in St. John the Baptist Parish because it is the only district in the county, so readers lack that frame of reference.
No information was available on course offerings, advanced or career-oriented pathways, discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, teacher staffing, or civil rights data such as discipline disparities. A parent may want to ask the school directly about what specific programs exist for students who are behind grade level, what enrichment is available for those who are ready for more, and how the school supports attendance and positive behavior.
Housing in the LaPlace area is relatively affordable compared to national benchmarks, with home values that have seen a modest decline recently and rents that are also slightly down. The area’s economy draws on industrial employment, and the local cost of living is moderate. For a family that lives in LaPlace or works in the nearby industrial corridor, East St. John Preparatory Academy is the local public middle school option. The academic picture is one of significant challenge, and a family moving into the area will want to evaluate how the school addresses those challenges before making a placement decision. Without further data on programs or supports, a direct conversation with the school and visits to observe classrooms would be valuable next steps.
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