The top reported proficiency rate is 82% in English language arts. The lowest is 64% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ray St. Pierre Academy for Advanced Studies
Ray St. Pierre Academy for Advanced Studies serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Westwego, a small suburban community on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Jefferson Parish. The school is a regular public elementary school within the Jefferson Parish Public School System. Its enrollment is modest for its grade band, and the student body is diverse: Black students and white students each make up roughly a third of the population, Asian students account for about a quarter, and smaller shares are Hispanic, two or more races, or American Indian or Alaska Native. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate notably lower than what is common in many Louisiana elementary schools. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
Academically, the school performs at a high level on the state's LEAP 2025 assessments. In English language arts, a strong majority of students scored proficient or above, and math results were similarly strong. Social studies proficiency also reached a solid level. Science proficiency was lower but still above half of students tested. These results place Ray St. Pierre among the stronger elementary schools in Jefferson Parish, and the scores are particularly notable given the school's relatively modest share of students from low-income households. Only a single year of test data was available, so no trend can be assessed, but the starting point is clearly strong.
The school provides no high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and no data on AP, dual-credit, or career pathways because those are not applicable to an elementary school. Information on course access, staffing ratios, discipline rates, and chronic absenteeism was not available, leaving gaps a parent would want to fill by visiting and asking about class sizes, teacher experience, and school climate.
Westwego itself is a compact city with a working waterfront heritage tied to seafood and rail. Sala Avenue functions as the historic and commercial corridor, home to a farmers and fisheries market, the Westwego Historic Museum, and community event space. Bayou Segnette State Park, described as the most popular state park in Louisiana, sits adjacent to the city and offers recreation. Daily life is shaped by the surrounding waterways, and the Westbank Expressway provides auto access. The city's population has been roughly stable to slightly declining in recent years, and no major new housing developments were identified. Housing in the school's ZIP code is moderately priced compared to national benchmarks, with home values near the lower end of the Louisiana range and rents roughly in line with what a household earning the national median income would expect to pay for an apartment. Owning a home appears more affordable than renting over the long term at current mortgage rates, though the gap between a monthly mortgage payment and median rent is narrow.
The Jefferson Parish school district, which operates this school, has been going through significant changes. A school consolidation plan approved in 2023 closed and merged schools across both the East Bank and West Bank and redrew attendance zones, driven by declining enrollment and aging facilities. Parents have raised concerns about longer commutes and disruption, while the district states that savings will go to remaining schools. The school board also approved budget cuts for the 2024-2025 school year, reducing central office staff, transportation, and some programs. On the positive side, the district adopted a new evidence-based reading curriculum in 2023-2024 and received a federal grant to enhance STEM education, which may benefit Ray St. Pierre in the coming years. A family considering this school should be aware that attendance boundaries may shift as the district continues to adjust its footprint, and the budget climate could affect services at the school level.
For a family looking for a strong academic foundation at the elementary level in a small-city setting with a distinct Gulf Coast identity, Ray St. Pierre Academy for Advanced Studies offers a compelling option. The test scores are well above average, the school serves a diverse and economically mixed population, and the surrounding community has a grounded, unpretentious character. The main open questions are about what lies behind the test scores, such as special education provision, English learner support, and day-to-day school climate, and how the district's ongoing consolidation and budget pressures will affect this particular building in the years ahead.
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