The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Bonella A. St. Ville Elementary School
Bonella A. St. Ville Elementary School in Harvey, Louisiana, is now closed. During its final years, it served elementary grades, and the last available state test results come from the 2022-23 school year. For any family today, the school no longer exists as an option, but the data from its last year offers a record of what it was, and the broader context of Harvey and Jefferson Parish tells families where the area stands now.
On the state’s LEAP 2025 assessments, student performance was low across most subjects and grade levels. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was a modest fraction at each tested grade. English language arts showed a somewhat stronger picture, especially in the upper elementary grades where about two in five students met the proficiency bar, but the lower grade still had very low results. Science and social studies saw even fewer students reaching proficiency, with some grade-level results reported as a range indicating near-zero proficiency. Overall, the academic picture was one where a large majority of students were not yet meeting state benchmarks. No enrollment totals, demographic breakdowns, or data on students with disabilities or English learners were available in the records, so it is not possible to say more about the student body or its support needs.
Harvey is a census-designated place on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, part of the New Orleans metropolitan area. It has a mix of residential neighborhoods, industrial corridors, and the historic Harvey Canal that still supports oil and gas shipping. Residents describe it as a quieter, more affordable alternative to living in New Orleans itself. Housing prices here are below the national typical level, and rents are relatively moderate. The population has grown modestly in recent years after an earlier period of decline, and the area is diversifying. Major employers include the Jefferson Parish Public School System, which has its headquarters in Harvey, and the industrial activity along the canal. There is no traditional downtown; the civic anchors include the large West Bank Regional Library and the school district offices.
The school district itself has been undergoing significant change. Jefferson Parish Public Schools approved a consolidation plan in 2023 that involved closing several schools, merging programs, and redrawing attendance zones across both the East Bank and West Bank. Parents expressed concerns about longer commutes and disruption, while the district said savings would be redirected to remaining schools. Budget cuts for the 2024-2025 school year included reductions in central office staff, transportation services, and program eliminations. 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. These changes mean that for any family moving into Harvey today, the attendance zone may differ from what this school served, and school options have shifted.
For a parent looking at this area, the key takeaway is that the local school that once existed here has closed, and the district is actively reshaping its footprint. Harvey remains a relatively affordable suburban option with proximity to New Orleans, but the academic context of the former school suggests that students historically faced challenges meeting state standards. Any family considering this part of Jefferson Parish should investigate which schools are currently open for their address, what the district’s consolidation means for transportation and program access, and how the newly adopted curriculum and STEM investments are playing out in the schools their child would attend. The data from Bonella A. St. Ville Elementary provides a baseline for the community’s recent academic history, but the real question now is what the district’s future holds.
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