Original Research by School Decision on John Ehret High School
John Ehret High School is a regular public high school in Marrero, a car-dependent, unincorporated community on the West Bank of the Mississippi River within the New Orleans metropolitan area. It serves grades nine through twelve and operates under the Jefferson Parish Public School System. The school is not a charter and does not have a reported magnet status.
State testing data was not available for this school, so a direct academic performance read from that measure is not possible here. The school’s academic standing relative to other high schools in the parish and state cannot be determined from the provided evidence. A parent looking for standardized test results would need to seek that information directly from the school or district.
The student body is large and diverse. The enrollment is substantial, spread relatively evenly across the four high school grades. The student population is majority Black, with a sizeable Hispanic presence and a smaller but still notable share of white students. The student body also includes Asian students and those identifying with two or more races, as well as a small number of American Indian or Alaska Native students. A significant majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with considerable economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the report.
John Ehret is part of the Jefferson Parish district, which is undergoing significant change. The School Board approved a consolidation plan in 2023, involving school closures and mergers across both the East Bank and the West Bank, along with redrawn attendance zones. The district also cut a substantial sum from its budget for the 2024-2025 school year, citing declining enrollment and state funding shortfalls, reductions that include cuts to central office staff and transportation. On the programming side, the district adopted a new evidence-based reading curriculum starting in the 2023-2024 school year and received a federal grant to enhance STEM education at multiple schools over a span of years. These district-wide shifts could directly affect John Ehret in terms of its attendance zone, course offerings, and support services.
Marrero itself is a densely populated suburban CDP with a gradually declining population. The housing market is more affordable than the national average, with home values and rents both rising moderately over the past year. The local economy is anchored by health care and retail, though many residents likely commute to the broader metro area for work. The area is car-dependent, with no traditional walkable downtown. A major civic anchor is the Barataria Preserve of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve, offering significant recreational and natural access.
For a parent, John Ehret is a comprehensive high school in a district facing the pressures of declining enrollment and budget tightening. The school itself is large and serves a student population with a high level of economic disadvantage. The lack of publicly shared state assessment data makes it difficult to gauge academic performance from this report. The district’s consolidation and budget cuts are active, material considerations for any family, as they may alter the school’s programs, staffing, and even its attendance boundaries in the near future. A family weighing this school should plan to engage directly with the school and district to understand current course offerings, academic supports, and any specific impacts from the ongoing consolidation plan.
See more original research from School Decision →