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What's the one class at James Stephens Montessori School every student should take?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
421
Elementary
DISTRICT 401 · STATE 453
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·EVANGELINE PARISH·NCES 220063001659
James Stephens Montessori School
1500 Martin Luther King, Ville Platte, LA 70586 · (337) 363-4745 · Evangeline Parish
GRADES PK–08ELEMENTARY32-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL421 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 55% of Louisiana public elementary schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- DThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Louisiana public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
11.3:1
37 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.1:1 · STATE 14.0:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
85%
358 students
DISTRICT 75% · STATE 70%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 36 | 9% |
| Kindergarten | 63 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 56 | 13% |
| Grade 2 | 38 | 9% |
| Grade 3 | 48 | 11% |
| Grade 4 | 44 | 10% |
| Grade 5 | 41 | 10% |
| Grade 6 | 40 | 10% |
| Grade 7 | 24 | 6% |
| Grade 8 | 31 | 7% |
This year's kindergarten class (63) is 103% larger than its 8th grade class (31).
Student demographics
38%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 55% · STATE 65% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
LEAP 2025 2025-26 . % Mastery+English Language Arts
43.0%
LA avg 41.8% . -14.0pp since 2022
Math
24.0%
LA avg 34.2% . -10.0pp since 2022
What this means: On the LEAP 2025, Louisiana's statewide test, about 43 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 24 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Louisiana schools, those numbers are about 42 and 34. Reading and writing scores are down about 14 points since 2022, while math scores are down about 10 points.
LEAP 2025 results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 43.0% | 24.0% |
| 2024-25 | 45.0% | 25.0% |
| 2023-24 | 51.0% | 33.0% |
| 2022-23 | 57.0% | 34.0% |
% Mastery+, all students and all tested grades.
Source: LEAP 2025. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
33.7%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
23.1%
based on LA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.6pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 34% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 23% typical for Louisiana schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Louisiana's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like James Stephens Montessori School
James Stephens Montessori School's state test result (33.7% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Stephens Montessori School this school | 421 | 85.0% | 33.7% |
| Dorseyville Elementary School White Castle | 402 | 85.8% | 32.5% |
| J. A. Phillips Elementary School Minden | 429 | 82.1% | N/A |
| Rosenthal Montessori Elementary School Alexandria | 366 | 88.8% | 33.7% |
| Bunkie Elementary School Bunkie | 368 | 88.6% | 17.0% |
| Vacherie Elementary School Vacherie | 364 | 79.7% | 26.5% |
Matched among Louisiana elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where James Stephens Montessori School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Louisiana | In Evangeline Parish |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 33.7% | #285 of 583 | #4 of 7 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 24.0% | #391 of 582 ▼ 23 | #6 of 7 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 43.0% | #255 of 587 ▼ 8 | #3 of 7 ▲ 2 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -12.0pp | #36 of 540 | #1 of 7 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 421 | #367 of 714 | #2 of 7 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.3:1 | #110 of 655 | #2 of 7 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 37.6% | #451 of 655 | #5 of 7 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 85.0% | #202 of 705 | #3 of 7 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +19.9% | #67 of 197 | N/A |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
421
+29 (+7%) vs 2020
+74% since 2010-11, when it was 242
Student : Teacher
11.3:1
was 19.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 421 | 37.3 | 11.3:1 | 85% (358) |
| 2023-24 | 469 | 36.5 | 12.8:1 | 71% (331) |
| 2022-23 | 442 | 23.5 | 18.8:1 | 70% (308) |
| 2020-21 | 392 | 20 | 19.6:1 | 56% (219) |
| 2017-18 | 351 | 20 | 17.6:1 | 62% (216) |
| 2015-16 | 263 | 18 | 14.6:1 | 54% (143) |
| 2010-11 | 242 | 17 | 14.2:1 | 79% (190) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for James Stephens Montessori School.
Since 2017-18: students up 20% (351 to 421); teachers up 86% (20 to 37.3).
About James Stephens Montessori School
Families in Ville Platte, Louisiana, are served by James Stephens Montessori School, a medium-sized elementary school. Enrollment in 2024-25 was 421 students in pre-K through 8.
District-wide, Evangeline Parish has 13 schools and 5,326 students.
At James Stephens Montessori School, Black students make up 77% of the student body. It is also 19% White and 3% multiracial. For comparison, the population of Evangeline Parish is roughly 26% Black. James Stephens Montessori School's diversity index is 38%, against a US figure of 70%.
The teaching staff at James Stephens Montessori School is 37.3 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the ratio is 11.3:1. This ratio sits 2.7 below the 14.0:1 average for elementary schools in Louisiana. The percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch is 85%. The gap from the 72% average for public schools in Evangeline Parish is 13 points.
allk12 grades James Stephens Montessori School a B. The grade compares the school only with Louisiana public elementary schools, because each state gives its own test.
Schools in Louisiana with a similar free or reduced-price lunch share are predicted to score about 23.1%. James Stephens Montessori School scores 33.7%.
Evangeline Parish census figures show that the median household income is $41,915, roughly 14% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 19% of residents live below the federal poverty line. There are 13 public schools in Evangeline Parish, enrolling about 5,326 students in all.
The closest public school to James Stephens Montessori School is Ville Platte Elementary School, about 1.0 miles away. James Stephens Montessori School is one of several public schools in the area, with 3 others within five miles. Nearby schools with test data average 25.6% proficiency; James Stephens Montessori School posts 33.7%.
James Stephens Montessori School is in a town some distance from an urbanized area, a location NCES labels Town: Distant.
Compared with 2020-21, the school had 29 more students in 2024-25. The number of students per teacher fell from 19.6 to 11.3 over 4 years.
The discussion area below is open to posts about sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Evangeline Parish at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
32,060
Census ACS
Median income
$41,915
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
14%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
19%
Below federal line
Schools in county
13
5,326 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Evangeline Parish
- Pine Prairie High SchoolCombined · 757 students
- Bayou Chicot Elementary SchoolElementary · 661 students
- Mamou High SchoolHigh · 443 students
- Basile High SchoolHigh · 432 students
- Ville Platte High SchoolHigh · 419 students
- Mamou Elementary SchoolElementary · 392 students
Other schools in Ville Platte
- Bayou Chicot Elementary SchoolElementary · 661 students
- Ville Platte High SchoolHigh · 419 students
- Vidrine Elementary SchoolElementary · 359 students
- Ville Platte Elementary SchoolElementary · 319 students
- Evangeline Reimagine AcademyMiddle · 175 students
Nearby schools
- Ville Platte Elementary School1.0 mi · 319
- Evangeline Reimagine Academy1.0 mi · 175
- Ville Platte High School1.0 mi · 419
- Vidrine Elementary School6.1 mi · 359
- Mamou High School8.2 mi · 443
- Mamou Junior High8.2 mi · 290
Frequently asked questions
About James Stephens Montessori SchoolHow many students attend James Stephens Montessori School?
James Stephens Montessori School enrolls approximately 421 students in grades PK-08.
What grades does James Stephens Montessori School serve?
James Stephens Montessori School serves grades PK-08.
How many teachers does James Stephens Montessori School have?
James Stephens Montessori School employs 37 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.3:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at James Stephens Montessori School?
At James Stephens Montessori School, the student body is approximately 19% White, 1% Hispanic, 77% Black, 0% Asian, 3% Two or more.
What district is James Stephens Montessori School in?
James Stephens Montessori School is part of Evangeline Parish.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.