The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in English language arts. The lowest is 7% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington Elementary School
Washington Elementary School serves the small, rural village of Washington in St. Landry Parish, enrolling roughly 120 students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. The student body is predominantly Black, with a smaller share of white students and a tiny number of students of two or more races. An overwhelming majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a school community that faces significant economic challenges.
On Louisiana’s LEAP 2025 assessments, the school’s students performed at very low levels of proficiency in the most recent testing year. In English language arts, about one in five students scored at or above the proficient level. In mathematics, the share of students meeting that benchmark was in the single digits. Science proficiency was similarly very low, and social studies results were also low. Every tested student participated in the assessments, which provides a complete picture of the school’s academic standing. The data covers only one year, so there is no trend to examine.
A parent considering Washington Elementary will want to understand its academic profile clearly. The school’s proficiency rates across all tested subjects are well below what families typically hope to see. This is the central fact of the school’s performance. It would be reasonable to ask the school directly about its academic improvement plans, the specific interventions it uses for students who are below grade level, and how it supports students who may be behind in reading and math before they reach the testing grades.
Washington itself is a very small, historic village on Bayou Courtableau that has been losing population for decades. Its economy is limited, and the median household income is low. The town’s historic downtown, with 19th-century brick buildings and live oaks, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The annual Washington Catfish Festival is a local event. But the built environment is rural, and there is no evidence of significant pedestrian infrastructure or public transit. Housing values in the town’s ZIP code are modest, well below the state average, and have declined in the past year, which reflects the area’s economic pressures. The town’s long-term trajectory is one of slow decline, with no major development projects identified.
St. Landry Parish is the school district operating Washington Elementary. No recent district-level changes with lasting parent-relevant impact were identified in publicly available sources, so none are reported here.
Washington Elementary is a school where academic proficiency is a significant concern. A family moving into this area should know that the school serves a high-poverty community and that state test results show a large majority of students are not yet reaching grade-level targets. The school has full participation in testing, so these results represent all students in the tested grades. For a family, the practical question is whether the school’s current academic trajectory aligns with their expectations for their child’s learning, and whether the school’s approach to improving outcomes is one they have confidence in. The school’s small size may mean more individualized attention is possible, but the data does not speak to that directly. A parent should visit, talk with the principal about what is being done in the classroom, and consider how the school’s support structures match their child’s needs.
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