Summary:
In zip code 70043 (Chalmette, LA), there are three public elementary schools serving grades PK-5 within the St. Bernard Parish school district, which holds a moderate 3-star rating statewide.
Lacoste Elementary School is the standout performer in the area, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the top 30% of Louisiana elementary schools. It significantly outperforms its peers with 70% math proficiency and 82% ELA proficiency, well above the district averages of 63% and 70%, respectively. Lacoste also boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (9.7%) and the lowest rate of economic disadvantage (55.23% free/reduced lunch). In contrast, Arlene Meraux Elementary School is the lowest-performing school, holding a 1-star rating and ranking in the bottom 23% of the state. It faces significant challenges with the highest poverty rate (70.33%) and highest chronic absenteeism (19.7%), and its test scores are the lowest in the zip code (46% math, 57% ELA). Chalmette Elementary School sits in the middle as a consistent 2-star school, ranking in the 43rd percentile. It offers the lowest student-teacher ratio (11:1) in the area, a notable structural advantage, yet its academic results remain middling (59% math, 66% ELA), suggesting other factors like its 65.95% poverty rate and 15.1% absenteeism limit its potential.
Key takeaways for parents include a clear link between socioeconomic factors and performance: schools with lower poverty and absenteeism rates achieve higher scores. Lacoste is an exceptional outlier within the district, while Arlene Meraux is in a sharp two-year decline, dropping from a 2-star to a 1-star rating. Chalmette’s small class sizes are a positive, but the school has not yet translated this into top-tier results. Overall, Lacoste Elementary is the top choice for academic excellence in this zip code.
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