The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Isaac G Joseph Elementary School
Isaac G Joseph Elementary School is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the city of Westwego, a small suburban community of New Orleans on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Jefferson Parish. The school is part of the Jefferson Parish Public School System, a district that has recently approved a consolidation plan involving closures and mergers of schools, along with attendance zone redrawing, as well as budget cuts that touch transportation and program offerings. The district also adopted a new evidence-based reading curriculum starting in the 2023-2024 school year and received a federal grant to enhance STEM education.
The student body at Isaac G Joseph Elementary is diverse and draws from a community with a mix of residential neighborhoods, commercial and industrial activity, and a visible seafood industry including shrimping and fish packing. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school serves over five hundred children across grades PK-5, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across the elementary grades. The student population is majority Black, with a sizable share of White students, a notable Hispanic presence, and smaller groups of Asian and multiracial students. Data on the share of students with Individualized Education Programs and those classified as English learners was not available in the profile, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the extent of special education and language support services.
State testing results on the Louisiana LEAP 2025 assessment, which measures proficiency in grades 3-5, show that the portion of students scoring at the proficient or above level was modest in English language arts, lower in math, lower still in social studies, and lowest in science, with a full participation rate. The available data covers only a single year, so there is no trend to examine. Compared to other schools in the state, these results place academic performance in a territory where many families would want to look into the school’s instructional approach, intervention programs, and how it supports students who are not yet meeting benchmarks. The grade band means there is no high school graduation rate to consider.
The school is not a charter or magnet school. Information about Title I status was not available, though the free or reduced-price lunch rate suggests a high-need student body. No data was reported on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, or attendance patterns such as chronic absenteeism, so a parent will need to gather that context directly from the school or district website.
Westwego is a compact city historically rooted in the railroad and seafood industries. Sala Avenue serves as the historic commercial and walkable corridor, hosting a farmer's and fisheries market, a museum, and the Lazy River Landing. The Bayou Segnette State Park, the John A Alario Event Center, and the Bayou Segnette Sports Complex are significant civic anchors. The city’s population has been roughly stable to slightly declining in recent years, with no major new housing developments apparent in public records. The typical home value and rent in the area are both below the national median, and rent consumes a moderate share of income, making housing here more accessible than in many parts of the country. The national unemployment rate and mortgage rate context suggest a typical economic environment.
For a family considering Isaac G Joseph Elementary, the picture is of a school in a district undergoing significant structural change, serving a high-poverty community where state proficiency rates are a concern. The peer environment is diverse. The setting is a small riverfront suburb with walkable pockets, outdoor recreation, and a working waterfront identity. The school does not offer programs or pathways beyond the standard elementary curriculum, and the district’s consolidation and budget moves could affect future attendance boundaries or school offerings. A parent weighing this school will want to make direct contact to understand academic supports, the school climate, and how the district’s restructuring may affect this particular campus.
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