The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on H. L. Bourgeois High School
H. L. Bourgeois High School serves Gray and the surrounding area of Terrebonne Parish as a regular public high school for grades nine through twelve. Its enrollment is large for a single high school, drawing a student body that is predominantly White, with a substantial Black population and smaller shares of students who are Hispanic, multiracial, or Native American. A majority of students come from low-income households, based on federal meal program participation.
The state testing results available for the school are limited and date from many years ago, making it difficult to form a current picture of academic performance. In the year for which data was found, the school tested just over a score of eighth graders, a group that likely reflects students who were on campus for reasons other than a full ninth-grade enrollment. Proficiency rates across math, English language arts, science, and social studies were all at the lowest possible band or at zero, with none of those tested students scoring at the proficient level. While the cut scores for the state assessments changed around that time, complicating direct comparisons, the pattern is clear: for that particular cohort and that testing cycle, there was essentially no demonstrated mastery of grade-level content. A parent should look into what the school's more recent state assessment results look like and whether the school has made progress since then, as the available data is too old to stand alone as a current judgment.
The school offers a comprehensive high school program that includes career and technical education pathways, Advanced Placement courses, and dual-enrollment opportunities through partnerships with local colleges. The breadth of these offerings is a strength, giving students multiple routes toward graduation and postsecondary readiness. The graduation rate data was not available in the information reviewed.
Gray itself is a census-designated place within the Houma metropolitan area. It is a modest community with a few civic anchors: a public library branch, a parish emergency operations center, and the sheriff's office headquarters are all located here. The population has been declining slightly in recent years, which fits into a broader pattern of enrollment pressure across the parish. The Terrebonne Parish school district is facing a projected budget deficit driven by declining enrollment, inflation, and the end of federal pandemic relief funding. The school board has discussed possible school closures, staff reductions, and program cuts to address the shortfall, which introduces an element of uncertainty for families about the long-term stability of specific school assignments and course offerings. The district also approved a new science curriculum for elementary and middle schools and rezoned some elementary attendance boundaries, both of which indicate an active if financially strained administration.
For a family considering H. L. Bourgeois High School, the picture is mixed. The school has the program infrastructure of a large comprehensive high school, with multiple academic and career pathways. The community it serves is small and has a working-class character. The student body is diverse in race and economic background. But the academic performance data that is available is both thin and very old, and what it shows is concerning. The district's budget challenges raise the possibility of future program reductions or even school closures. A parent would want to visit the school, talk to current families, and ask directly about recent test scores, graduation rates, and what the district's financial situation means for this campus in particular before making a decision.
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