The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in English language arts. The lowest is 7% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Mcdonogh 26/homedale Elementary School
McDonogh 26/Homedale Elementary School is a regular public school in Gretna, Louisiana, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Jefferson Parish Public School System. It operates as a neighborhood school on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, in a city that is both a parish seat and a suburb of New Orleans. Gretna has a historic downtown district, a working-class character, and a mix of residential neighborhoods with commercial corridors. The city and district have been navigating consolidation and budget pressures, with a school consolidation plan approved in 2023 that involved closures and attendance zone changes across the parish, a context that may affect any family deciding where to live within the parish.
The school's enrollment is modest for its grade band. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the working-class character of the community it serves. The student body is majority Hispanic, with a Black population also well represented, and smaller shares of white students and those of two or more races. This composition is characteristic of the broader parish demographic patterns.
State testing results from the LEAP 2025 assessments, reported for the 2024-2025 school year, provide a limited snapshot as this is only a single year of data. The school participated fully at a high rate. In English language arts, less than a quarter of students scored at the proficient or above level. In math, the proficient share was lower still. Proficiency rates in science and social studies were lower than those in math and reading. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the academic support strategies in place, particularly as the district has adopted a new evidence-based reading curriculum and is directing federal STEM grant funds toward technology and teacher training.
Because this is a K-5 school, there is no graduation rate to report, and the child will eventually move on to a middle school elsewhere in the parish. Data on staffing ratios, chronic absenteeism, and special-population counts were not available in the provided information. These are meaningful indicators of school environment that a prospective parent would want to ask the school about directly.
Housing in Gretna is priced below the national benchmark but shows a modest recent decline, and rents are in a range that might be manageable for many local families. The city was affected by Hurricane Katrina and has since been engaged in resilience planning. The historic downtown and a walkable core contrast with more typical suburban commercial stretches; commuting times suggest many residents travel outside the city for work.
For a family weighing this school, the picture is one of an elementary school serving a high-poverty community within a district undergoing significant structural changes. The test results are low compared to state averages, and the school has not yet published the kind of multi-year trend data that would show whether recent academic initiatives are moving the needle. The district's curriculum and grant investments are promising signals, but their impact at McDonogh 26 will take time to materialize. This is a school worth visiting and asking detailed questions about reading intervention, math support, and how the consolidation plan has affected its attendance zone and resources.
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