The top reported proficiency rate is 15% in Math. The lowest is 7% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Woodland Park Magnet
Woodland Park Magnet is a regular public school in Hammond, Louisiana, serving students from pre-kindergarten through third grade. With an enrollment that is substantial for its early-elementary grade band, the school sits within the Tangipahoa Parish School System. The student body is diverse, with a very large majority identifying as Black, accompanied by smaller shares of Hispanic, white, and multiracial students. A substantial share of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that sits above the national average.
Because the school serves only the earliest grades, it does not have a graduation rate to report, nor does it offer the kind of advanced coursework or career pathways found at a high school. State testing data is available for third-graders, whose results on Louisiana's LEAP 2025 assessments give a window into early academic performance. In both math and English language arts, a modest share of tested students scored at the proficient level or above. Science and social studies proficiency rates were lower. The full cohort of tested students participated in the assessments, so the data reflects the entire eligible grade. There is only a single year of assessment results in the available records, so no trend can yet be drawn.
Hammond, the city where Woodland Park Magnet is located, is a mid-sized college town anchored by Southeastern Louisiana University. It has a historic downtown that earned a Great American Main Street designation in 2022, a walkable core near the university, and a mix of older neighborhoods and suburban commercial strips. Major employers include the university, a large medical center, and regional distribution centers that take advantage of the city's position at the intersection of two interstate highways. The city's population has been stable in recent years, though Hurricane Ida caused severe damage in 2021, and recovery has been ongoing.
The Tangipahoa Parish district, which runs Woodland Park Magnet, has seen notable change recently. In spring 2024, voters narrowly rejected a property tax renewal that had funded teacher salaries and school operations, creating a budget gap whose lasting effects on staffing and programs are still unfolding. The district has also launched a K-3 literacy overhaul tied to Louisiana's science-of-reading requirements, which directly affects how reading is taught in a school like Woodland Park Magnet. In late 2023, the district consolidated two schools, including one in Hammond, which reassigned students to other campuses.
Housing in Hammond is moderately priced, with home values and rents near state norms. A family looking at this school should consider that it is a dedicated early-elementary magnet school, and the academic results from the single tested grade show that most students are not yet reaching the proficient bar on state assessments. A parent may want to discuss with the school how its early literacy initiative and its intervention supports work for children currently below that threshold. The broader district context of a rejected millage and a consolidation plan adds some uncertainty about resources and school assignments in the coming years. For families who value a small, neighborhood-anchored early elementary setting within a college town with a working downtown and access to a regional university, Woodland Park Magnet is a straightforward fit, but the academic data and district finances are worth a close look.
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