The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in English language arts. The lowest is 27% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Paul J. Solis Elementary School
Paul J. Solis Elementary School is a regular public school in Gretna, a working-class city that serves as the parish seat of Jefferson Parish, on the west bank of the Mississippi River across from New Orleans. The school enrolls students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Jefferson Parish Public School System, a district that has been undergoing significant consolidation and budget cuts in recent years. A district consolidation plan approved in 2023 is closing and merging schools and redrawing attendance zones, and the School Board approved sizable budget cuts for the 2024-25 school year, affecting central office staff, transportation, and programs. A family choosing this school should be aware that the district landscape is in active flux.
Roughly two out of every seven students at Solis are white, while a comparable share are Black and a smaller share are Hispanic. Asian students make up a measurable presence, and the remaining students are Pacific Islander or multiracial. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, marking the school as serving a majority low-income population. No data was available on the share of students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to follow up with the school directly on those supports.
On the state’s LEAP 2025 assessments, student proficiency rates were modest across all tested subjects. In English language arts, just over a third of students scored at or above the proficient level. In math and science, the rate was about a quarter to three-tenths, and in social studies it was similar. These numbers place the school below the midpoint among Jefferson Parish elementary schools, though only a limited comparison was possible because the data available for the district’s other schools was thin. Full participation in testing means the results represent nearly all enrolled students in the tested grades.
Because the school’s grade band ends at fifth grade, there are no high school outcomes such as a graduation rate or college-going data to evaluate. The district’s broader academic context includes a new evidence-based reading curriculum adopted in the 2023-24 school year as part of Louisiana’s state reading initiative, and a federal grant awarded in 2023 to expand STEM education through technology upgrades, teacher training, and expanded programs over several years. Those investments may reach Solis, but no specific program data for this school was reported.
Housing in the area around Solis is moderately priced relative to national averages, though local values have risen recently. Rents are a bit below the national benchmark, and for a family weighing a move, the area offers a mix of older residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors. Gretna has a historic downtown district listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the city has a ferry connection to New Orleans. The city’s population grew slightly in recent years, but the broader area was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina and has been recovering since.
No data was available on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, teacher staffing, or class sizes at Solis. A parent interested in those details would need to ask the school or the district directly. The school’s website was not part of the provided data, which limits what a family can learn without contacting the office.
For a family choosing an elementary school in Jefferson Parish during a period of district reorganization, Solis offers a regular neighborhood school setting serving a diverse, majority-low-income student body. Academic proficiency is below state averages across subjects, and the district is navigating budget cuts and boundary changes that may affect transportation or school assignments in the near term. A parent facing a decision here should visit the school, ask about class sizes and special education or English learner services, and pay close attention to how the ongoing consolidation might affect attendance zones.
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