Original Research by School Decision on New Orleans Military & Maritime Academy
New Orleans Military & Maritime Academy is a single-school charter district serving grades eight through twelve in Orleans Parish. As a Type 2 charter school, it operates as its own local education agency, meaning the school and the district are the same entity. The student body numbers about what you would expect for a mid-sized high school that also includes an eighth-grade cohort. The enrollment is spread across all four high school grades plus the added early high school year, with the ninth-grade group being the largest and the twelfth-grade group the smallest, which suggests the school draws students in at the start of high school and retains a substantial share through graduation.
The student population is notably diverse. The largest single ethnic group is Hispanic, making up a solid share of the student body, followed by Black students and then White students. There are also smaller but present groups of Asian students and students of two or more races, and very small numbers of American Indian and Native Hawaiian students. No data was available for the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, so a reader cannot assess the school's economic composition from this source. Similarly, the proportions of students with disabilities or English learners were not reported.
On the metrics that are available, the school shows a clear strength. The chronic absenteeism rate places it among the best in Orleans Parish, falling well below the midpoint of the county's districts. This is a meaningful indicator that students are attending school consistently, which is often a prerequisite for academic progress. Per-pupil current spending is close to the median among the county's districts, landing in the lower half of the middle range. That suggests the school operates on a budget typical for the area, not unusually lean or lavish.
State testing results were not available in the data provided. Neither was a four-year graduation rate, which might be a gap a family would want to investigate further by asking the school directly. Publicly reported information, noted in the district brief, indicates the school received an 'A' performance rating from the state for the most recent available year and holds recognition as a naval honor school. Those external signals suggest the school meets or exceeds state expectations, at least as measured by Louisiana's accountability system.
The school's name reflects its thematic focus on military structure and maritime studies. That orientation likely shapes the daily experience of students, with uniforms, cadet ranks, and a disciplinary framework that some families find appealing and others do not. The district brief notes no recent changes to policy, curriculum, or facilities that would affect a family's decision, so the program appears stable.
In the context of Orleans Parish, this district is one of many charter entities, but it stands out for its low chronic absenteeism and its specialized mission. A family considering it should weigh the structured environment and the school's academic rating against the absence of test-score and graduation-rate data in this report. The school fits a student who responds well to a regimented setting and who may be interested in military service or maritime careers, but any family would want to visit, talk to current students and staff, and confirm that the available data gaps reflect the school's own transparency rather than missing information.
See more original research from School Decision →