The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Ella C. Pittman Elementary School
Ella C. Pittman Elementary School serves prekindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Jefferson Parish Public School System. It is located in Harvey, an unincorporated West Bank suburb of New Orleans. Harvey offers a mix of residential neighborhoods and industrial corridors, with the Harvey Canal supporting oil-and-gas industries and cargo shipping. The Jefferson Parish school district has its headquarters in Harvey, and the Jane O'Brien Chatelain West Bank Regional Library acts as a local civic anchor. The community's population has been growing modestly, and its housing values are below the national median, with rents slightly above the national benchmark. A family considering Harvey will find a quieter suburban setting within a short commuting distance of New Orleans.
The school's enrollment is well distributed across its elementary grades, with the largest numbers in kindergarten and third grade. The student body is majority Black, with a substantial share of White students and a smaller but notable Hispanic presence. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which signals a high level of economic need in the school's attendance zone. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available.
State testing results for the most recent year show performance levels that families will want to review closely. On Louisiana's LEAP 2025 assessment, the proportion of students scoring at proficient or above was highest in English language arts, where roughly a third of test takers met that bar. In science, about a quarter did. In math, fewer than a fifth of students reached proficiency. Social studies posted the lowest result, with about one in seven students scoring proficient or above. These figures represent a single year's snapshot, and the school's testing history in the available data provides only a single point, so no trend direction can be drawn. A cut-score change for social studies means that subject's result may not be directly comparable with prior years. Participation on test day was full, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students in tested grades.
The school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate applies. Full participation on state assessments is a positive indicator of consistent testing administration. The school is not a charter and carries no listed magnet or Title I status.
At the district level, Jefferson Parish Public Schools have been through some recent changes that a family living in Harvey should be aware of. A school consolidation plan was approved in 2023 and has involved closures, mergers, and redrawn attendance zones across both the East Bank and West Bank. The district cites declining enrollment and aging facilities; some parents have raised concerns about longer commutes. Budget cuts for a recent school year included reductions in central office staff and transportation. The district also adopted a new evidence-based reading curriculum and received a federal grant for STEM education, both publicly reported. These district-level shifts may affect how individual schools like Pittman are staffed, programmed, and zoned in the coming years.
A parent evaluating this school will find an elementary building serving a high-poverty community where baseline academic proficiency across tested subjects is below what many families would expect. English language arts is the relative strength, but math and social studies results in particular are areas a parent may want to ask the school about directly, such as what supports are available for students who are not yet at grade level and how the school is using its resources to address those gaps. The district's recent curriculum changes in reading may begin to show in future data, but that will take time. The school itself is a standard elementary program, not a magnet or specialty school, so what it offers is the core elementary curriculum. The broader context of Harvey's suburban, lower-cost character and the district's ongoing consolidation and budget pressures are equally part of the decision. A family that values proximity to New Orleans, affordability, and a neighborhood school setting will find Pittman a straightforward option, but they should look into the academic supports and program offerings directly to see whether the school fits their child's needs.
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