Webster Junior High School, Minden LA

Original Research by School Decision on Webster Junior High School

Webster Junior High School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in Minden, the parish seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. It is one of the middle-grade campuses within the Webster Parish school system. The school enrolls a few hundred students, a size that is typical for a junior high school in a small city.

Academically, state testing results from the LEAP 2025 assessment show that the school’s proficiency rates are low across all subjects. In English language arts, a little over a quarter of students scored at the proficient or above level. In math, about one in five students reached that benchmark. Science and social studies each posted similar shares, roughly one in five students. The school’s participation rates on the tests were very high, so the results reflect nearly the entire student body. Because only a single year of data is available for these grades, there is no trend to compare. The state changed the cut scores for social studies in the same year, which means the social studies results should be interpreted with that change in mind.

The student body is diverse in composition. A majority of students are Black, with a substantial White minority. Smaller shares of students are Hispanic, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or of two or more races. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with above-average economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source material, so a parent who wants a fuller picture of special education and language support should ask the school directly.

Minden is a small city that has experienced population decline over the past several years. The historic Main Street district is a civic anchor, but the overall built environment is low-density and car-dependent. Housing is affordable compared to national benchmarks, and the area’s median home value has seen a recent decline. The local economy is anchored by retail, healthcare, and social assistance, though no specific major employers were identified in publicly available information. Some residents commute to Shreveport, about a half-hour drive to the west. The district itself did not have any major recent changes or strategic priorities publicly reported, so the school’s academic focus and any upcoming initiatives are not described in the available data.

For a family considering Webster Junior High, the academic performance is a significant concern. Proficiency rates are well below what many parents might expect, and the school does not offer any advanced or specialized program pathways that are visible in the data, such as magnet programs or career academies. The school’s regular public status means it serves all students in its attendance zone. The peer environment reflects the community’s demographics and economic profile. Families who can choose among schools may want to investigate what academic supports and interventions are in place, and whether the school offers any enrichment or acceleration opportunities that are not captured in the state testing data.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grades 3-821%

School 21% · District 24% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median

English language arts

Grades 3-827%

School 27% · District 31% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

Science

Grades 3-820%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 3 pts below state median

Social studies

Grades 3-820%

School 20% · District 21% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median

This schoolWebster 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-income25%Higher-income43%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income21%Higher-income41%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income19%Higher-income62%43 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income22%Higher-income50%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income16%Higher-income43%27 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income9%Higher-income27%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income22%Higher-income62%40 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income15%Higher-income46%31 pp gap