The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Southeastern La University Lab School
Southeastern Louisiana University Lab School serves preschool through eighth grade on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment is small. The student body is majority White, with a Black population of about one-fifth, and smaller shares of Hispanic, two-or-more-races, and Asian students. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price meals. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.
The school is a laboratory school, which typically means it functions as a training site for university education students and often operates with a distinct pedagogical approach. Parents should confirm directly with the school whether its curriculum or instructional model differs from the district’s other elementary and middle schools. The school is part of the Tangipahoa Parish School System. The district faces significant financial uncertainty after voters rejected a property tax renewal in spring 2024 that funded teacher salaries and operations. The district has also implemented a new K-3 literacy overhaul aligned with state reading requirements and recently closed an elementary school in Hammond. A parent considering the Lab School may want to ask how those district-level changes affect this particular campus, particularly staffing and early reading instruction.
On state assessments, the school clearly outperforms the typical Tangipahoa Parish school. A strong majority of students scored proficient or above in English language arts. In math, about three-fifths scored at that level. Social studies proficiency was above half. Science proficiency was notably lower, with fewer than half of students reaching the proficient mark. The school has reported data for only one year, so there is no trend line to assess. The academic picture is one of solid performance in literacy and math, with a soft spot in science.
Hammond is a mid-sized college town located between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. It functions as a regional transportation and distribution hub, with Southeastern Louisiana University as a major employer and downtown anchors like the Columbia Theatre and the Hammond Historic District. The downtown area is walkable, while most of the city is auto-oriented. The university campus and downtown are in close proximity. The Lab School is located on the university campus, which gives it a distinctive setting compared to district-run schools distributed across the city. Housing data for the immediate school area was not available.
The comparison to other districts in Tangipahoa Parish could not produce a meaningful placement because the cohort was too small. That limitation means the school’s performance cannot be ranked against peers in a way that would be reliable. What can be said is that the Lab School posts strong proficiency rates that stand out within a district that is itself navigating budget and instructional changes. A parent considering this school should weigh its solid core academics and university-connected environment against the uncertainty in the broader district and the modest science results.
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