The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Renew Dolores T. Aaron Elementary
ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Elementary is a regular public charter school in New Orleans serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. For a parent considering this school, the first thing to understand is that state testing data shows academic performance well behind many other schools in Louisiana. On the LEAP assessments administered to grades three through eight, the share of students scoring proficient or above on the English language arts exam was less than two-fifths. In math it was under one-fifth. Science proficiency was roughly one out of every eight students, and social studies was around one out of every six. These outcomes place the school in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency when compared with other districts across Orleans Parish.
The student body is almost entirely Black, with a small Hispanic population and very few white students. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high-need community. The school is small relative to the full pre-K through eight grade span it serves, with enrollment spread across ten grades, from pre-K through eighth. Each grade from kindergarten upward enrolls fewer than one hundred students, and the school as a whole serves fewer than eight hundred children. The building is located in the eastern portion of the city, within a neighborhood that has a mix of homes and apartments. Housing values in the area are well below the national median and also below the typical Louisiana home value. Rents are also lower than the national norm, which may make the school accessible to families who prioritize affordability.
New Orleans itself is a dense urban city-parish functioning as a major Gulf Coast port and commercial center, known for its music, Creole cuisine, and annual festivals. The city’s population has fluctuated dramatically since Hurricane Katrina, with a long recovery and recent modest decline. The local economy is anchored by port and maritime logistics, tourism and hospitality, a growing film industry, and institutions such as Tulane University. The school’s home neighborhood is residential and lies away from the historic French Quarter and downtown core, but the city has a streetcar system and a range of neighborhoods shaped by the city’s distinctive geography of high ground along the river and lower-lying areas built behind levees.
The school operates as a single-campus entity, not part of a larger traditional district, meaning it functions as its own local education agency. We looked for any recent district-level changes or strategic initiatives that might affect families, but found no publicly reported developments with lasting impact to share.
Given the test scores, a parent considering ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Elementary will want to investigate what academic supports are in place and what the school’s approach to math and reading instruction looks like. The school does not have public data on special education identification rates, English learner services, or chronic absenteeism, so understanding student support structures would require direct inquiry with the school. For a family that values a small school setting with a consistent cohort from pre-K through middle school, and that is weighing options within the New Orleans charter landscape, this school’s character is defined by a high-need population and low measured academic outcomes that warrant careful follow-up.
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