Original Research by School Decision on The Willow School
The Willow School is a single-school district in Orleans Parish serving kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is a charter school located in uptown New Orleans. The school underwent a significant identity change in 2022, when it was renamed from Lusher Charter School to The Willow School, and its individual campuses were also renamed. The change was made because the former namesakes supported racial segregation and the Confederacy. This is a lasting shift that affects how the school is known in the community and appears on student records.
The school enrolls a large student body for a single K-12 campus. The student population is majority white, with a substantial share of Black students and smaller shares of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, as well as the share of students with disabilities or who are English learners, was not available. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these figures to understand the full picture of student support needs.
State testing data was not available for this school, so a direct measure of academic proficiency is not part of this account. The school does not have a reported graduation rate, though it serves twelfth grade. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how student outcomes are tracked and reported.
The school reports a very low chronic absenteeism rate, placing it in the top quartile among Orleans Parish's districts. This suggests that students are consistently attending school, which is a positive indicator of engagement and stability. Per-pupil current spending falls in the lower range among the parish's districts, which may reflect the school's operational model or scale.
The Willow School is a single-campus district, with one school serving all grades from kindergarten through twelve. The student body is large for a single K-12 campus. The racial composition is predominantly white, with a substantial Black student population and smaller shares of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. The school is located in uptown New Orleans, a well-established residential area of the city.
Because the school is a single entity serving all grades, there is no separate district office or multiple school options within the district. The school's charter status means it operates with some autonomy from the Orleans Parish School Board, though it remains a public school open to all students. The name change in 2022 is the most notable recent development, and it has reshaped the school's public identity. A parent considering this school should be aware that the school's history and its response to that history are part of its current character.
The school reports a chronic absenteeism rate that is very low, placing it in the top quartile among Orleans Parish's districts. This suggests strong student attendance. Per-pupil spending is in the lower range among the parish's districts, which may reflect the school's operational choices or scale. Without state testing data or a graduation rate, a parent cannot evaluate academic performance from this account alone. The school serves all grades, so the absence of these metrics is a gap worth exploring directly with the school.
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