By Charles Crain 

The Winn Parish School District had a reason to celebrate as they left for the Thanksgiving holidays on Nov. 17. The Louisiana Department of Education released school and district performance scores and Winn saw growth across the board.

Winn Parish Schools earned a “B” ranking on their 2022-2023 district performance scores, a growth of almost two points from 2021-2022.

Winnfield Primary School was top of the list of growth in the district. WPS grew 6.5 points and earned a “B” ranking for their school performance score. That’s not only impressive for Winn, but also for the state as a whole. The Louisiana Department of Education named WPS a top gains honoree, a distinction given to schools that demonstrate excellence in student progress from one year to the next. WPS’ growth also attracted the interest of Dr. Cade Brumley, the Louisiana State Superintendent of Schools, to visit last month.

“In conjunction with the release of school and district performance scores for 2022-2023,” said Winn Parish School Superintendent Al Simmons. “…it was announced that Winnfield Primary School has been recognized as a ‘Top Gains Honoree’ by the Louisiana Department of Education. This designation recognizes the tremendous growth in student performance at Winnfield Primary School during last year’s cycle. The administration and staff at WPS, led by Principal James King, have worked diligently to meet the diverse needs of their students as evidenced by this honor. I am certainly proud of their efforts and expect more good things in the future.”

Dodson High School also saw a jump in scores last year. DHS grew 4.9 points and earned a “B” ranking for their school performance score. Winnfield Senior High School continued the growth streak, jumping 4.5 points and earning a “B” ranking. Winnfield Middle School grew 1.3 points.

Despite the great reception to the news about growth, school administrators are focusing on maintaining this trend. Next year, the grading scales for schools will increase. Maintaining these scores across the district is very important with an updated grading scale.

If the 2022-2023 school year is any indication, Winn is up to the challenge.