The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Pickering High School
Pickering High School is a regular public school serving seventh through twelfth grade in the Vernon Parish School District. It is located in Leesville, a small city that functions as the parish seat and sits near Fort Johnson, a major U.S. Army installation that dominates the local economy. Leesville has experienced a population decline in recent years, and the housing market reflects a low cost of entry, with median home values well below state and national benchmarks. The school itself sits outside of the downtown core, part of a district that operates multiple high schools across the parish.
The student body is small. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Racially, the enrollment is majority white, with a notable mix of Black and Hispanic students, alongside a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races and a very small number who are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Asian, or American Indian or Alaska Native. The school serves a grade span that includes junior high years, and enrollment declines as grades advance, which is common in smaller communities where students may move or transition to other options.
Academically, the state testing picture shows clear strengths and equally clear soft spots. English language arts proficiency is a defined bright spot, with nearly half of students scoring at the proficient level or above on the state's LEAP 2025 assessment. That is a solid result for a school of this type. Social studies comes in at a lower rate, with roughly a third of students meeting proficiency. Math and science are areas where the numbers are significantly lower, with about a quarter of students reaching the proficient threshold in each. These are real gaps, and a parent considering the school would want to ask how the school supports students in these subjects, what interventions or curriculum adjustments are in place, and whether there are before-school or after-school programs aimed at raising those scores. Only one year of testing data is available, so there is no trend to assess improvement or decline.
Because the comparison universe is too small—Vernon Parish has only one school district in the county—there is no comparative positioning against nearby districts. The school cannot be ranked or benchmarked locally. That means a parent evaluating Pickering High School will need to rely on the absolute results and on conversations with the school about how those outcomes compare to peer schools in similar settings across the state.
The available data does not include information on graduation rates, so a key measure of how well the school carries students from ninth grade through completion is missing. Similarly, there is no reported data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, Advanced Placement or dual-enrollment course access, or career and technical education programs. Those are significant gaps, especially for a school that covers the full high school span. A family with a high school student should ask the school directly what pathways are available beyond the core curriculum, whether in college-preparatory courses, vocational training, or work-based learning. The district as a whole operates multiple high schools, so it is also worth understanding whether Pickering High School offers the same breadth of electives and programs as the other high schools in the parish.
The school's setting is rural and auto-dependent, with no public transit evident. Commute times are short, and the community is shaped heavily by the military base. That gives the student body a transient element common to towns near major installations, which can affect peer stability from year to year. The school itself is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and Title I status is not reported in the data.
Pickering High School serves a clearly defined purpose in its community. It offers a small-school environment where a student who is strong in English language arts can find solid proficiency results, but families with children who need more support in math and science have cause to ask questions about how those subjects are taught and what additional resources are available. The lack of data on graduation rates, advanced coursework, and career pathways means the full academic picture is incomplete, and those are the most important topics for a parent to explore in a direct conversation with the school.
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