Montegut Middle School, Montegut LA

Original Research by School Decision on Montegut Middle School

Montegut Middle School sits in the small, unincorporated bayou community of Montegut, a rural census-designated place in Terrebonne Parish. The school serves grades five through eight and is one of the two public schools in the immediate area, with Montegut Elementary nearby. The community itself has been experiencing a population decline over several decades, and the surrounding area is low-lying, spread out, and car-dependent, with no distinct downtown or commercial district described in available sources. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet.

On the Louisiana LEAP 2025 assessment, the school’s results present a mixed picture. In English language arts, a majority of students scored at the proficient level or above, which is a solid result for a middle school. However, in mathematics, the share of students reaching that benchmark was noticeably lower, with fewer than half doing so. Science and social studies results fell in between the two, with just under half of students scoring proficient or above. These figures come from a single year of data, so there is no trend line to show whether performance is improving or declining. A parent may want to follow up with the school on what supports are in place for math, in particular, and how the school addresses gaps across subjects.

The student body reflects the area’s demographics. A majority of students are white, with a substantial minority identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native and a smaller but notable share identifying as two or more races. Hispanic and Black students make up much smaller portions of the enrollment. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a significant share of families face economic challenges. The school is of a size that is typical for a rural middle school, with about that many students across the four grade levels.

Montegut Middle School is part of the Terrebonne Parish district, and recent district-level changes may affect what families experience. The school board approved a rezoning plan for elementary schools that took effect for the 2024-2025 school year, though that plan directly affects elementary attendance boundaries. More notably, the district has discussed the possibility of school closures as it faces a projected budget deficit, driven by declining enrollment and the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funds. This is a situation a parent should monitor, as it could influence which schools remain open and what programs are offered.

Housing in the area is relatively affordable, with home values well below the national and state benchmarks. Rents, while lower than the national average, have been rising, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment is also below what one would find in many parts of the country. The economic context shows a moderate unemployment rate and median household income at the national level, but the local economy in Terrebonne Parish may differ.

This is a school where a family would find a middle-of-the-road academic picture: one subject area where the school performs reasonably well, and others where the numbers are weaker. The community is small and rural, with a shrinking population, and the district is under financial pressure. A parent considering this school should weigh the academic strengths in English language arts against the lower math scores and should keep a close eye on district-level budget decisions that could reshape the school landscape in the coming years.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-844%

School 44% · District 39% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

English language arts

Grades 3-860%

School 60% · District 50% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grades 3-846%

School 46% · District 32% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Social studies

Grades 3-847%

School 47% · District 35% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

This schoolTerrebonne Parish, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income49%Higher-income66%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income49%Higher-income54%5 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income67%Higher-income83%16 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income53%Higher-income69%16 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income29%Higher-income67%38 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income37%Higher-income59%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income29%Higher-income44%15 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income41%Higher-income61%20 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income34%Higher-income57%23 pp gap