National ranking of Bossier City and Shreveport high schools: You may be surprised
Plus — Louisiana tax code changes will provide a break to most households.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Bossier City weather
🔥 Heat Advisory
In effect until 7 PM tonight — stay hydrated and avoid strenuous outdoor activity during peak heat hours.
🌤️ Wednesday
Conditions: Partly cloudy with a chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms
Highs: Upper 90s
Heat Index: Up to 110
Winds: North around 5 mph
Rain Chance: 50%
🌙 Wednesday Night
Conditions: Partly cloudy with a chance of showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening; slight chance of showers after midnight
Lows: Mid 70s
Heat Index: Up to 106 early evening
Winds: Northeast around 5 mph
Rain Chance: 50%
🌦️ Thursday
Conditions: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of morning showers; chance of afternoon showers and slight chance of thunderstorms
Highs: Mid 90s
Winds: Northeast around 5 mph
Rain Chance: 40%
Beyond Bossier
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National ranking of Bossier City and Shreveport high schools: You may be surprised
With the beginning of school each year comes a national survey of high school excellence. U.S. News & World Reports ranks the "best high schools" on six metrics:
College readiness accounts for 30% of a school's score
The proportions of 12th graders who took and earned a qualifying score on at least one AP or IB exam. Earning a qualifying score is worth three times more than just taking.State assessment proficiency 20%
Aggregated scores on state assessments that students may be required to pass for graduation.State assessment performance 20%
How aggregated scores on state assessments compare with U.S. News' expectations given the proportions of students who are Black, Hispanic and from low-income households.Underserved student performance 10%
Scores on state assessments aggregated just among students who are Black, Hispanic and from low-income households. These scores are compared with what is typical in the state for non-underserved students, with parity or higher being the goal.College curriculum breadth 10%
The proportions of 12th graders who took and earned a qualifying score on AP and IB exams in multiple areas. More exams are valued more than fewer exams up to a maximum of four. Earning a qualifying score on an exam is worth three times more than taking.Graduation rate 10%
The proportion of entering ninth graders who graduated four academic years later.
The recently released results rank the 25 high schools in the Bossier City and Shreveport areas. Five of the six Bossier Parish high schools made the Top 10.
1. Caddo Parish Magnet High School
2. North Desoto High School.
3. Benton High School
4. Airline High School
5. C.E. Byrd High School
6. Logansport High School
7. Plain Dealing High School
8. Haughton High School
9. Parkway High School
10. Mansfield High School
See the ranking of all 25 area high schools here.
Louisiana tax code changes will provide a break to most households
The changes Louisiana lawmakers made to state tax policy last fall will reduce the overall burden on most households by double-digits compared with prior sales and income tax rates, according to a nonpartisan fiscal impact study.
Reset Louisiana, a collaboration between the Leaders for a Better Louisiana and the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, hired former state economist Greg Albrecht to calculate the impact of new tax rates the legislature approved during last November’s fiscal policy special session.
In the end, lawmakers placed a flat 3% income tax on all households, regardless of income, effective Jan. 1. It replaced a tiered tax bracket structure that ranged from 1.85% for income up to $12,500, 3.5% for income between $12,500 and $50,000 and 4.25% for all income above $50,000.
For middle- and upper-income households, the change will result in a lower marginal tax rate, according to Albrecht’s analysis.
Income taxes have effectively been eliminated for lower-income households.
Louisiana also updated its sales tax in November, increasing the rate from 4.45% to 5% at the start of this year through the end of 2030. Lawmakers also applied the state sales tax to digital products such as streamlining services, cable televisions subscriptions, satellite entertainment and computer software. An additional 5% sales tax was added to cable and satellite TV.
When the income and sales tax changes are combined, most Louisiana households should expect an overall drop in tax liability, according to Reset’s calculations. Any increase in sales taxes is likely to be offset with a decrease in income taxes.
Households with income between $50,000 and $200,000 will see their sales and income taxes decrease from 13% to 19%. Those making more than $200,000, a bracket with fewer than 100,000 taxpayers in Louisiana, should expect a 20% reduction.
A slight increase in taxes, less than $50 a year, is anticipated for those making less than $10,000, mainly because they don’t make enough money to see a benefit from the income tax changes and will pay more in sales taxes.
– By Greg Larose/Louisiana Illuminator
Passport fair to be held at Bossier Clerk of Court's office
Tuesday, August 26, 2025, Speaker Mike Johnson’s office – in coordination with the Bossier Clerk of Court Jill Sessions – will host a passport fair for all Louisiana residents hoping to either renew or acquire a passport.
Any Louisianian with upcoming plans to travel outside of the country is encouraged to attend and prevent future passport issues.
Click here for details and required documents to bring.
Tuesday, August 26, 2025, 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at the Bossier Parish Courthouse, 204 Burt Blvd., third floor in Benton.
Bossier traffic notice: Lane closure I-20 at Hwy 157 in Haughton
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development says that beginning on Friday, August 22, 2025 at approximately 8:00 am, the I-20 eastbound off-ramp (left lane) to LA 157 northbound near the Haughton will be closed.
This closure is scheduled to be in place until approximately 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 24, 2025, and affects only the left lane to LA 157 northbound.
The off-ramp itself will remain open, along with the right lane to LA 157 southbound. The LA 157 overpass over I-20 will also remain open.
This lane closure is necessary to allow for roadway pavement repairs related to the ongoing LA 3227/LA 157 Realignment Phase 2 project at the nearby intersection.
Bossier City events calendar
Live music in Bossier City and other notable events in the area for your free time consideration. If you would like to add an event to the Bossier City free time calendar, send the details to email@bossiernow.com.
August 22: The Marshall Tucker Band at Margaritaville Resort Casino
August 29: Sir Charles Farewell Show: Sir Charles Jones & Avail Hollywood at Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium
August 31: The 14th Annual Shreveport Blues & Southern Soul Pre-Labor Day Fest at Festival Plaza
September 5: Gene Watson at Margaritaville Resort Casino
September 12: Hudson Westbrook and the Texas Forever Fall Tour. Shreveport Municipal Auditorium.
September 12: Krewe of Justinian Coronation Party at Riverdome
September 13: Lainey Wilson at the Brookshire Grocery Arena
September 13: Beau Williams: Tribute to Sam Cooke at The Strand Theatre
September 14: Henry Cho at The Strand Theatre
September 19: Pat Green at The Stage at Silver Star Smokehouse
September 20: 90s Country Experience at Hurricane Alley LIVE
September 20: Biodiversity & Ecology 2 with Hulya O'Nel at Red River National Wildlife Refuge
September 27: Renest Fest 2025 at Live Casino & Hotel Louisiana
September 27: Hurricane Alley LIVE Presents: Just Like Pink – with Kate Watson
September 27: Fantasia & Anthony Hamilton at Brookshire Grocery Arena
September 27: Braxton Keith at Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium
October 3: Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters at Margaritaville
October 17: Zach Top and his Cold Beer and Country Music tour at the Brookshire Grocery Arena.
October 18: Wanda Sykes and her Please and Thank You tour at the Horseshoe Bossier City.
October 24: Styx at the Live Casino & Hotel. 8:00 pm. Tickets start at $59.99. Must be 21+
November 20: ZZ Top at Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
November 29: Little River Band, Live! Event Center
December 12: Jiaoying Summers at the Live! Casino and Hotel. Get ready for a night of fearless, dark, and laugh-out-loud comedy from a global sensation with over 1 billion views online! You’ve seen her viral “Uber Karen” sketch and hilarious English name roasts — now catch her live on her “What Specie Are You?” tour!
February 20: Rascal Flatts at the BGA.
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