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Ralph J Bunche Elementary

Q: Is Ralph J Bunche Elementary a good school?

Ralph J Bunche Elementary ranks 277 th of 690 Louisiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

277^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 690 Louisiana Elementary Schools

Better than 60% of Louisiana elementary schools

Summary

Ralph J Bunche Elementary is a PK-5 school in Metairie, LA, serving 470 students within the Jefferson Parish school district, and it has achieved a remarkable turnaround from a 1-star rating in 2019 to a 3-star rating in 2026, now ranking in the 60th percentile statewide.

This school stands out for its strong academic performance despite serving a predominantly low socio-economic status population, with over 72% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Its overall proficiency rates (Math: 70%, ELA: 68%, Social Studies: 59%) are notably higher than nearby schools with similar poverty levels, such as Bridgedale Elementary School (Math: 57%, ELA: 61%) and Hazel Park/Hilda Knoff School (Math: 56%, ELA: 65%). The school also shows a pattern of academic growth as students progress, with 5th-grade proficiency jumping to 74% in Math and 76% in ELA, indicating effective teaching and a positive school culture. However, the school faces a critical weakness in its special education services, ranking in the 18th percentile (1-star) for this subgroup, which contrasts sharply with its overall success.

While the school excels with its Hispanic student population (75th percentile, 4-star) and African American students (71st percentile, 4-star), it struggles with a chronic absenteeism crisis, with a rate of 24.2% for the 2024-2025 school year—higher than the district (21.5%) and state (22.5%) averages, and significantly worse than nearby peers like Bissonet Plaza School (17.7%) and Green Park Elementary School (17.9%). This absenteeism issue, though improving from a staggering 35.1% in 2022-2023, remains a key challenge for the school's continued progress.

470

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,861

Per pupil spending ?

72.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8101 Simon Street
Metairie, LA 70003-6493

(504) 934-4875

District: Jefferson Parish

Students who attend Ralph J Bunche Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	T.H. Harris Middle School
High:	East Jefferson High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

45.1%

African American:

43.8%

White:

8.3%

See top rated Louisiana elementary schools

Compare Ralph J Bunche Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 27th percentile in 2019 → 60th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 33 percentile points since 2019

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Jefferson Parish

✓Above the Louisiana median (60th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school66%

District avg56%

Louisiana avg62%

277^th of 690

Louisiana public elementary schools ?

Top 40%▲ up 33 pts since 2019

From bottom 27% (2019) to top 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Louisiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 48Elementary Schools in the Jefferson Parish

66^th of 116Jefferson Parish among Louisiana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	62.9	277 of 690	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.0	346 of 666	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.9	391 of 675	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.3	337 of 730	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.9	341 of 727	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.5	427 of 729	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.5	537 of 731	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	64.9	157 of 548	71.4%	★★★★☆
2025	49.7	251 of 501	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.0	200 of 509	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.9	162 of 570	71.6%	★★★★☆
2022	65.2	153 of 562	72.8%	★★★★☆
2021	52.6	246 of 564	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.0	308 of 559	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	46.7	62 of 115	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	71.3	8 of 82	90.2%	★★★★★
2024	49.1	41 of 86	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.8	12 of 90	86.7%	★★★★☆
2019	50.2	41 of 91	54.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	62.3	266 of 679	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.8	381 of 633	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.6	303 of 635	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.4	414 of 705	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.0	336 of 701	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.7	354 of 705	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.6	539 of 684	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	73.0	66 of 266	75.2%	★★★★☆
2025	68.7	51 of 207	75.4%	★★★★☆
2024	47.3	96 of 189	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	76.0	42 of 233	82.0%	★★★★☆
2022	64.6	76 of 220	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.1	92 of 202	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.5	119 of 190	37.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	68.1	210 of 685	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.1	328 of 661	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.0	362 of 674	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.2	301 of 723	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.7	280 of 724	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.0	385 of 719	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.9	488 of 697	30.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	59.7	298 of 682	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.1	290 of 641	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.5	371 of 651	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	71.0	200 of 713	71.9%	★★★★☆
2022	55.8	339 of 712	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.5	451 of 704	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.3	439 of 696	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	27.9	295 of 361	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.5	241 of 306	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.6	330 of 333	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2026)75th percentile+15 vs school

African American (2026)71st percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)69th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)61st percentile~ school

Male (2026)56th percentile-4 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)46th percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2026)18th percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs Louisiana (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics70%+8 vs state

English Language Arts68%~ state avg

Social Studies59%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ralph J Bunche Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				LEAP Mathematics (2026)							LEAP English Language Arts (2026)							LEAP Social Studies (2026)							LEAP Algebra I (2026)	LEAP English I (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	LEAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	LEAP Mathematics 4th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 5th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 6th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 7th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 8th Grade	LEAP Mathematics All Grades	LEAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts All Grades	LEAP Social Studies 3rd Grade	LEAP Social Studies 4th Grade	LEAP Social Studies 5th Grade	LEAP Social Studies 6th Grade	LEAP Social Studies 7th Grade	LEAP Social Studies 8th Grade	LEAP Social Studies All Grades	LEAP Algebra I End of Course	LEAP English I End of Course	Total
Ralph J Bunche Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8101 Simon Street	Metairie	70003	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(504) 934-4875	470	39	11.9	72.6%	39 (8.3%)	206 (43.8%)	212 (45.1%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)	62.9	277^th of 690 public elementary schools	59.9%		52	346^th of 666 public elementary schools	48.0%	69	63.0	74.0	74.0				70.0	63.0	69.0	76.0				68.0	42.0	65.0	70.0				59.0			$16,861
Green Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1409 North Upland Street	Metairie	70003	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(504) 466-0205	433	42	10.2	67.7%	67 (15.5%)	38 (8.8%)	309 (71.4%)	11 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)	29.4	516^th of 690 public elementary schools	25.2%		38.7	429^th of 666 public elementary schools	35.6%	87	46.0	49.0	61.0				50.0	51.0	45.0	57.0				50.0	28.0	47.0	57.0				43.0			$18,726
John Clancy/Joseph Maggiore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 Maine Street	Kenner	70062	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(504) 469-3664	545	46	11.9	58.2%	52 (9.5%)	115 (21.1%)	352 (64.6%)	14 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.2%)	31.7	494^th of 690 public elementary schools	28.4%		32.9	476^th of 666 public elementary schools	28.5%	18	53.0	67.0	41.0				54.0	59.0	58.0	55.0				58.0	45.0	43.0	31.0				40.0			$16,915
Airline Park Academy for Advanced Studies	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	6201 Camphor Street	Metairie	70003	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	No	Yes	No	No	(504) 888-0969	434	32	13.5	21.4%	227 (52.3%)	45 (10.4%)	54 (12.4%)	90 (20.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.9%)								(n/a)			99.0						100.0															$15,462
Rudolph Matas School	Public	PK, KG-8	1201 Elise Street	Metairie	70003	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(504) 733-6200	600	47	12.6	63.7%	242 (40.3%)	57 (9.5%)	257 (42.8%)	24 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.3%)	65.3	259^th of 690 public elementary schools	62.5%		66.7	248^th of 666 public elementary schools	62.8%	11	75.0	77.0	65.0	68.0	75.0		71.0	67.0	70.0	70.0	73.0	66.0	60.0	68.0	60.0	63.0	63.0	57.0	62.0	58.0	60.0		52.0	$18,966
Hazel Park/Hilda Knoff School	Public	PK, KG-8	8809 Jefferson Highway	River Ridge	70123	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(504) 737-6163	384	38	10.0	70.1%	130 (33.9%)	142 (37.0%)	100 (26.0%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	33.6	481^st of 690 public elementary schools	30.3%		28.6	501^st of 666 public elementary schools	24.8%	20	55.0	53.0	40.0	53.0		66.0	56.0	53.0	56.0	58.0	75.0	78.0	74.0	65.0	49.0	46.0	42.0	40.0	72.0	60.0	50.0			$20,500
Lucille Cherbonnier School	Public	PK, KG-8	700 Dandelion Drive	Westwego	70094	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(504) 431-9740	466	34	13.7	86.1%	46 (9.9%)	319 (68.5%)	83 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.6%)	8.9	663^rd of 690 public elementary schools	3.9%		9	636^th of 666 public elementary schools	4.5%	27	41.0	24.0	24.0	28.0	50.0	14.0	29.0	51.0	43.0	38.0	52.0	47.0	51.0	47.0	29.0		14.0		44.0	32.0	25.0			$16,317
Phoebe Hearst School	Public	PK, KG-5	5208 Wabash Street	Metairie	70001	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(504) 887-8814	602	49	12.1	59.3%	70 (11.6%)	112 (18.6%)	404 (67.1%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.2%)	34.7	475^th of 690 public elementary schools	31.2%		37	442^nd of 666 public elementary schools	33.6%	33	51.0	59.0	58.0				56.0	43.0	62.0					55.0	32.0	50.0	53.0				43.0			$17,456
Bridgedale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	808 Zinnia Street	Metairie	70001	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(504) 888-6807	491	36	13.7	70.5%	67 (13.6%)	90 (18.3%)	318 (64.8%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	45.2	398^th of 690 public elementary schools	42.3%		39.5	420^th of 666 public elementary schools	36.9%	22	49.0	57.0	63.0				57.0	50.0	65.0	67.0				61.0	53.0	56.0	57.0				54.0			$15,515
Bissonet Plaza School	Public	PK, KG-8	6818 Kawanee Avenue	Metairie	70003	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(504) 887-0470	624	47	13.3	63.0%	113 (18.1%)	110 (17.6%)	367 (58.8%)	26 (4.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.1%)	29.5	515^th of 690 public elementary schools	25.4%		26.4	516^th of 666 public elementary schools	22.5%	1	38.0	56.0	50.0	57.0	58.0	29.0	49.0	39.0	65.0	63.0	58.0	59.0	46.0	55.0		54.0	31.0	40.0	50.0	36.0	39.0	99.0	90.0	$16,525

Frequently Asked Questions about Ralph J Bunche Elementary

How many students attend Ralph J Bunche Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 470 students attended Ralph J Bunche Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Ralph J Bunche Elementary?

Students at Ralph J Bunche Elementary are 45% Hispanic, 44% African American, 8% White, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Ralph J Bunche Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ralph J Bunche Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : T.H. Harris Middle School
High : East Jefferson High School

Is Ralph J Bunche Elementary a good school?

Ralph J Bunche Elementary ranks 277^th of 690 Louisiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Ralph J Bunche Elementary in?

Jefferson Parish

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Latest Louisiana data All new data »

2025–26 LEAP test scoresJul 6, 2026

2023–24 dropout ratesFeb 24, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataDec 1, 2025

2023–24 through 2024–25 graduation ratesNov 22, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Louisiana Dept of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.