Elementary Schools in St. Bernard Parish

The seven elementary schools in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, serve grades Pre-K through 5th and present a wide range of academic performance and challenges, with the district earning a 3-star rating overall.

Lacoste Elementary School stands out as the top academic performer, achieving the highest proficiency rates in English Language Arts (82%) and Social Studies (63%) and earning a 4-star state ranking. Joseph J. Davies Elementary School is notable for its exceptional consistency, boasting the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at just 6.4% and the highest Mathematics proficiency rate (74%). In contrast, Arlene Meraux Elementary School is the lowest-performing school, with the lowest state ranking (1-star) and the lowest proficiency rates in all core subjects. W. Smith Junior Elementary School presents a paradox: despite having the smallest enrollment and the most favorable student-teacher ratio (10.7:1), it has the highest poverty rate (88.89%) and the highest chronic absenteeism rate (22.9%), resulting in the second-lowest academic performance. J.F. Gauthier School experienced a significant drop in its state ranking from 4-star to 3-star, though its test scores remain competitive with top schools.

A key finding is the strong inverse relationship between socioeconomic need and performance: the two highest-performing schools, Lacoste and Davies, have the lowest poverty rates, while the lowest-performing schools have the highest. Chronic absenteeism is also a critical differentiator, with Davies' low rate correlating with strong outcomes. Notably, all seven schools scored at or above the state average in 4th-grade Mathematics, indicating a district-wide strength in that subject. The wide range of free/reduced lunch percentages (from 55.23% at Lacoste to 88.89% at W. Smith Junior) highlights the diverse socioeconomic landscape across the district's elementary schools.