Edna Karr High School

Edna Karr High School is a public high school in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, LA, serving 1,097 students in grades 9 through 12 as its own single-school district. This school stands out as a resilient neighborhood school that excels in supporting its core student body, particularly achieving top-tier results for African American and Hispanic students, while also providing exceptional support for homeless students—ranking in the 80th percentile statewide for three consecutive years. Despite an overall state ranking in the lower-middle tier, Edna Karr boasts a very low dropout rate of 0.8% and a graduation rate consistently above 90%, though it faces challenges with a high chronic absenteeism rate of 26.3% and math proficiency that lags behind state averages in Algebra I and Geometry.

What truly sets Edna Karr apart is its performance for specific student groups, making it a standout among nearby non-selective schools. For African American students, the school ranks in the 75th percentile statewide, and for Hispanic students, it ranks in the 70th percentile—both earning 4-star ratings that far exceed its overall 2-star rating. This suggests the school’s instructional strategies and support systems are particularly effective for these demographics. Additionally, the school has seen a dramatic turnaround for Special Education students, jumping from the bottom 10th percentile to the 68th percentile in just one year. In comparison to nearby selective-admission magnet schools like Thomas Jefferson High School for Advanced Studies (ranked #1) and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (ranked #8), which have lower poverty rates and far lower chronic absenteeism, Edna Karr serves a much more challenging population as a non-selective neighborhood school, yet still achieves strong outcomes for its students.

Academically, Edna Karr is a "biology powerhouse," consistently outperforming the state average in Biology (67% proficient vs. 60% state) and U.S. History (53% vs. 55% state), but it struggles significantly in math, with Geometry proficiency at 51% versus the state average of 57%. Compared to other nearby non-selective schools like L.B. Landry High School and Frederick A. Douglass High School, which lack state ranking data, Edna Karr provides a stable, data-rich environment with a clear path to graduation. For parents, this school offers a supportive community that excels for its core student body, with strong graduation rates and targeted support for vulnerable populations, though it faces ongoing challenges with attendance and math achievement.