The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ellender Memorial High School
Ellender Memorial High School is a regular public high school in Houma, serving ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Terrebonne Parish school district. The school sits within a city that functions as the parish seat and commercial hub for the broader Houma area, with an economy built on oil and gas, shipbuilding, and commercial fishing. Downtown Houma holds a historic district on the National Register, while the wider city is car-dependent, with suburban neighborhoods and industrial waterfronts along bayous. Cajun, Creole, Native American, and Vietnamese cultural influences are woven into daily life.
The school's student body is diverse. The largest shares of students are Black and Hispanic, followed by White students, then American Indian or Alaska Native students and those identifying as two or more races, with a small Asian student population. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a higher-poverty context. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available in the records reviewed.
The district that operates the school has been navigating headwinds. The Terrebonne Parish School Board approved a rezoning plan for elementary schools effective 2024-2025, a response to declining enrollment and a need to balance class sizes. A new science curriculum for elementary and middle schools was implemented in 2023-2024. More consequential for families watching the high school, the board has publicly discussed a projected budget deficit for the 2025-2026 school year, and officials have raised the possibility of school closures, staff reductions, and program cuts. Houma itself was struck directly by Hurricane Ida in 2021, and recovery has been ongoing.
Academic performance data for Ellender Memorial is thin and should be read with caution. The only state assessment results available come from a single school year and are for eighth-grade testing, not for the high school grades the school actually serves. Those eighth-grade results showed very low proficiency rates in math, English language arts, science, and social studies. Because the data is for a grade level the school does not teach and is roughly a decade old, it offers little reliable insight into current high school instruction or student achievement at Ellender. No graduation rate was available in the records reviewed, and a comparison to other districts in Terrebonne Parish was not possible because too few peer schools had usable data.
The school's program offerings could not be confirmed from the data provided. Course access, staffing ratios, and attendance figures were also absent. A parent looking to understand what academic pathways, Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, or career and technical programs are available would need to ask the school directly.
Housing in the area is more affordable than state and national benchmarks, with home values below both averages and rents that remain manageable relative to local income. The broader parish context includes ongoing recovery from hurricane damage and a district budget that is under real pressure. For a family considering Ellender Memorial, the most pressing unknowns are the school's current academic performance, its graduation rate, and what programs it offers, all of which would need to be verified with the school or district.
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