The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on James A. Herod Elementary School
James A. Herod Elementary School serves grades three through five in Abbeville, Louisiana, as a regular public school within the Vermilion Parish school district. It is a mid-sized elementary school for its grade band, drawing from the community around the parish seat.
State testing results for the 2024-25 school year show that a modest share of students met the proficiency benchmark in English language arts, with a smaller share doing so in math. Science and social studies proficiency rates were lower still. Across all four subjects, the proportion of students scoring proficient or above was well under half, a pattern that parents may want to discuss with the school to understand the instructional support and intervention programs available. The school participated in the state’s LEAP 2025 assessment, and participation rates were high, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students.
The student body is economically diverse in a way that signals concentrated poverty. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, one of the highest rates among the district’s elementary schools. Racially, the largest group is Black students, followed by White students, with smaller shares of Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported in available records, a gap that limits a full picture of the school’s support services.
Abbeville itself is an agricultural and seafood processing hub with a strong Cajun cultural identity. The local economy centers on rice, sugarcane, crawfish, and oilfield services. The city’s population has been declining modestly in recent years, and housing values are below state and national medians. The school is located within the city, integrated into the residential fabric rather than set apart on a far campus. The combination of a high-poverty student population and below-proficiency test outcomes suggests that Herod Elementary serves a community with significant economic need.
The school offers no public evidence of specialized magnet or charter programs, and no data on course access or staffing were available. For a family considering this school, conversations with the principal or district office about academic intervention, enrichment, and student support resources would be worthwhile. The district itself did not report recent major changes or initiatives in publicly available sources, so the school’s programming is likely stable but not prominently communicated.
Parents sizing up Herod Elementary should weigh the very high poverty rate and low test proficiency against the school’s role as a neighborhood elementary in a small city with a distinct cultural identity. For those who value a close community school where the student body reflects the local population, this school fits that description. For those prioritizing higher test performance, the numbers point in a different direction, and looking into what specific academic supports are offered would be a prudent next step.
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