Special to the American Press

With the LEAP 2025 score release from the Louisiana Department of Education today, the Calcasieu Parish School Board is being recognized as one of the top 10 districts in score growth for the 2022-2023 school year. The district showed growth of three points over the previous year.  

“We are ecstatic to be amongst the top districts in the state in the growth of our students,” said Superintendent Shannon LaFargue. “This growth reflects the hard work of our students, faculty, and staff, and I’m extremely proud of the dedication of our teachers to the work they do every day.”  

Overall growth, which outperformed the state average, can be seen across the board in CPSB Schools. CPSB elementary and middle schools grew overall in ELA, math, science, and social studies, while also outperforming the state in all four categories.   

Of elementary schools, the highest growth in the parish can be seen at Gillis Elementary (10 points), M.J. Kaufman Elementary (9 points), and Prien Lake Elementary (9 points). It is also important to note that in grades 3-5, ELA scores increased for the fourth consecutive year, surpassing pre-pandemic results.   

In CPSB middle schools, students grew in science by 5%, math by 4%, and social studies by 3%. At the top of testing growth in middle schools, four schools top the chart with a five percent growth: W.W. Lewis Middle, Molo Middle, Moss Bluff Middle, and S.J. Welsh Middle. 

Our high school students showed growth in LEAP 2025 testing in five of the six subject areas. The top testing growth at the 9-12^th grade level can be seen at DeQuincy High (10 points) and Sulphur High (5 points). 

“This growth just adds to the excitement we’re already feeling for this new school year,” LaFargue said. “We are just over one week away from starting the 23-24 school year, and we have no doubt that these successes are just the beginning of what’s to come in the future.”