The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Phoebe Hearst School
Phoebe Hearst School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Metairie, a suburban community within Jefferson Parish. Metairie is a mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors, with Veterans Memorial Boulevard as a major artery and a business district concentrated around Causeway Boulevard near Lake Pontchartrain. The area includes older, established sections like Old Metairie, where upscale housing tracts were built in the 1920s, and denser commercial zones such as Fat City. Civic anchors include the East Bank Regional Library and the Bucktown Marsh Boardwalk, with mass transit provided by Jefferson Transit. Major employers in Metairie include the training facilities and corporate headquarters of the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans, as well as television station studios. The population grew significantly through the mid-twentieth century, then declined and stabilized; growth and development remain a backdrop for families considering the area.
The school itself is a regular public school, not a charter. It draws a diverse student body. Hispanic students make up the majority of the enrollment, with smaller shares of Black, White, Asian, and multiracial students. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The grade-by-grade enrollment is largest in kindergarten and first grade, then tapers through the upper elementary years.
State testing results from the LEAP 2025 assessments, which cover students in grades three through five, show that roughly three in ten students scored at the proficient level or above in math and English language arts. In science, the share of students reaching that bar was notably lower. In social studies, about one in four students met the proficiency threshold. Because the school serves only early and elementary grades, there is no high school graduation rate to report. Only a single year of assessment data is available, so trend comparisons are not possible. A parent may want to follow up with the school about the science results and what supports are in place to improve them.
The comparison set provided was too small to generate a meaningful academic position among other schools in Jefferson Parish, so that context is not available. No data on staffing, discipline, attendance, or special education and English learner populations was included in the information provided, which leaves gaps in understanding the school’s learning environment and support structures. Program offerings beyond the core curriculum were also not reported, so it is unclear what enrichment, arts, or extended-day options exist.
Housing in the area carries a price tag above what is typical for Louisiana as a whole. Rents appear to be affordable relative to local incomes, and monthly mortgage costs, while higher than rents, are not out of line with what many households in the area earn. This is a market that has seen home values rise in the past year.
Families choosing this school should also be aware of several developments within the Jefferson Parish Public School System. A consolidation plan approved in 2023 is closing and merging schools across both the East Bank and West Bank of the parish and redrawing attendance zones. Parents have raised concerns about longer commutes and disruption; the district says savings will go to remaining schools. Additionally, the school board approved budget cuts for the 2024-2025 school year that include reductions in central office staff, transportation services, and program eliminations, citing declining enrollment and state funding shortfalls. On the positive side, the district adopted a new evidence-based reading curriculum beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, with teacher training to support it, and received a federal grant to enhance STEM education with technology upgrades, teacher training, and expanded programs at multiple schools.
For a family considering Metairie, Phoebe Hearst offers a neighborhood elementary school with a diverse student body and a largely suburban setting. The academic performance, based on the single year of available data, is below what many parents might hope for, particularly in science. The district’s ongoing consolidation and budget pressures are factors that could affect school resources, staffing, and zoning in the years ahead. A parent who values a school that is actively working to improve its curriculum in literacy and STEM may find that alignment here, but they will want to ask more questions about how those district-level efforts reach this specific school.
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