McDonogh 35 Senior High School

McDonogh 35 Senior High School is a public high school in New Orleans, LA, serving 851 students in grades 9-12, with over 85% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and it operates as its own district.

McDonogh 35 stands out for its strong graduation rate of 89.1%, which consistently beats the state average and far exceeds nearby schools like New Harmony High Institute (59.8%). However, this success is tempered by a severe chronic absenteeism crisis—70.4% of students are chronically absent, more than three times the state average and dramatically higher than high-performing neighbors like Benjamin Franklin High School (5.3%) and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (3.6%). The school also shows a notable "graduation vs. readiness" gap: while students graduate, proficiency in core subjects like English II (52% vs. 67% state) and Biology (42% vs. 60% state) lags behind, suggesting a focus on credit recovery over deep content mastery.

Despite these challenges, McDonogh 35 has a unique strength in serving its African American students, who rank in the 60th percentile statewide—a 25-point gap above the school's overall 35th percentile rank. This outperforms many nearby high-poverty schools like G W Carver High School and John F. Kennedy High School, which serve similar demographics but lack comparable subgroup data. The school's state ranking has also shown a slight upward trend over the last three years, moving from the 26th to the 35th percentile, indicating potential progress even amid the absenteeism crisis. For parents, this school offers a strong path to graduation and excels with specific student groups, but the high absenteeism rate and inconsistent test scores in subjects like U.S. History (39% vs. 55% state) are critical factors to consider.