The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Esperanza Charter School
Esperanza Charter School is a public charter school in New Orleans serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It operates as a regular school within the city's dense urban fabric, a historic port and commercial hub known for its music, Creole cuisine, and annual festivals. The school sits in the Mid-City area, a neighborhood of mixed residential and commercial uses shaped by the city's distinctive cross-cultural heritage.
The school enrolls a student body that reflects the surrounding community, with a substantial share of students from low-income households. The student population is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with a very small number of White and Asian students. Information on the share of students receiving special education services or classified as English learners was not provided in available data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about supports for these groups.
On the Louisiana LEAP 2025 assessments, which measure proficiency in math, English language arts, science, and social studies for grades three through eight, the share of students scoring at the proficient or advanced level was low across all subjects. A modest share reached that bar in English language arts, and a smaller share did so in math. The results for science were the weakest, with a small proportion of students reaching proficiency; social studies results were similarly low. Full participation in testing was reported. When compared with other school districts in Orleans Parish, Esperanza's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it well below the midpoint, in the bottom quarter of the comparison group. Because the school only serves through eighth grade, no high school graduation rate applies, and chronic absenteeism data were not available for this assessment period.
The school is part of the Community Academies of New Orleans network and now operates across two campuses. The Foundational Academy, for pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, offers a bilingual program and is located separately from the Middle Academy, which houses fifth through eighth grade. This means families with children across the grade span will need to manage two locations, and the bilingual program is an option for younger students who enroll at the Foundational campus.
The housing market in the school's zip code shows home values that are above the national median but have seen a recent decline. Rents are modest relative to the city, and the broader economic context includes a national median household income that has grown in recent years but still reflects the high share of families at Esperanza who qualify for subsidized meals.
State testing data from recent prior years was not available for comparison, so it is not possible to say whether instructional outcomes are trending upward or down. Similarly, no information on course offerings, staffing ratios, or discipline was included in the available records.
Esperanza Charter School serves a high-needs population in a large, dynamic city. Its academic results point to a setting where most students are still building foundational skills, and the proportion meeting state benchmarks is lower than typical for Orleans Parish. Families considering this school may want to discuss how the school addresses skill gaps, what supports are in place for students who are behind grade level, and how the bilingual program at the younger campus fits into a child’s pathway through eighth grade. The school’s charter status and network affiliation mean it operates with some autonomy from the local school district, and the two-campus structure is a practical detail for parents to plan around.
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