WalletHub: Louisiana Has The Worst Public Schools In The Country

Louisiana has the worst public schools in the country, according to a new report from the personal finance website WalletHub. Analyst Jill Gonzales says Louisiana ranked near the bottom in reading and math scores, ACT scores, and student safety. She says the state also ranked 45^th in dropout rates.

“Right now about a quarter of all students who start high school are not graduating, and one of the highest rates the country,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales says Louisiana also ranked low on school safety, for the number of minors in detention facilities and reported bullying, but the state did even worse in the number of discipline incidents.

“We’re looking at the rate of discipline incidents per capita. Louisiana ranked 46^th. So not at the very bottom, but close to it,” Gonzales said.

In response to this report, the state department of education says public school students have made tremendous growth. They point to improving reading and math scores for 4^th graders, the graduation rate is at an all-time high and ACT Performance has increased for a third straight year. But Gonzales says Louisiana is 29^th in spending, but based on data from the National Bureau for Education Statistics, the Bayou State has the worst school system in America.

“Directing it towards exactly where it needs to go, using it efficiently and not just throwing it toward a new football field or something like that,” Gonzales said.