The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in Math. The lowest is 7% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Eleanor Mcmain Secondary School
Eleanor McMain Secondary School serves grades eight through twelve as a regular charter school in New Orleans. The school sits on South Claiborne Avenue in the city’s historic and diverse urban fabric. The enrollment is small for a high school spanning five grade levels. The student body is overwhelmingly Black, with a modest share of Hispanic students and very small numbers from other racial and ethnic groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a level that points to a high-need population.
Academically, the picture is mixed and warrants close attention from a parent. State testing data from a recent year shows that in eighth-grade math, a modest share of students scored at a proficient level. In eighth-grade English language arts, the share reaching proficiency was lower. Eighth-grade social studies results were also low, with a small fraction of students meeting the bar. Science data from an earlier year, for both seventh and eighth grades, shows even lower proficiency. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades, compared to other schools in Orleans Parish, places it in the bottom quartile of that set. A parent looking at these numbers will want to ask the school about its current academic improvement efforts and how it supports students who arrive below grade level.
The school is located in New Orleans, a dense urban city-parish that is a major port and commercial hub. The city is known for its distinctive music, Creole cuisine, and annual festivals. The historic French Quarter draws heavy tourism, and the film industry has added a layer of economic activity, earning the city the nickname Hollywood South. Major employers include tourism and hospitality, the port and maritime sector, and Tulane University. The city was catastrophically affected by Hurricane Katrina and experienced a major population decline, followed by a slow rebound; the 2020 census showed a population below pre-storm levels, and a recent estimate hints at continued demographic flux. Gentrification and displacement are live concerns in some neighborhoods, which shapes the housing and community context families navigate.
Housing in the school’s immediate area reflects this urban market. Home values are above the statewide benchmark but below the national one, and the local housing market has seen a decline in values over the past year. Rental prices sit above the national indexed measure and have also dipped slightly. A parent moving into the area would find a relatively expensive urban market with recent softening.
McMain operates as a charter school, which means it has autonomy over its curriculum, staffing, and budget while being publicly funded. It is classified as a regular school, not a magnet or alternative school, so it draws a general student body from its attendance zone or through the city’s school enrollment process. The school’s grades run from eighth through twelfth, so it functions as a combined middle and high school. Because it serves high school grades, a graduation rate would be expected, but that data was not available in the profiles reviewed.
For a family comparing high schools in New Orleans, McMain offers a small, predominantly Black student body with a high share of economically disadvantaged students. The academic results are well below the average of other Orleans Parish schools, and a parent would benefit from a direct conversation with the school about its current academic programming, growth measures, and support structures. The locale offers the full cultural and economic life of a major American city, with the opportunities and unevenness that come with it.
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