The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 34% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Nebo Elementary School
Nebo Elementary School sits in the Nebo community, a small crossroads outside Jena, the parish seat of LaSalle Parish. A regular public school serving prekindergarten through eighth grade, it is one of the outlying elementary schools in the parish, located on Highway 777 rather than in Jena’s town center. The school is small, with a student body that is overwhelmingly white, and a modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. No data was reported on the share of students with Individualized Education Programs or English learners, so a family with a child receiving special education services or language support would want to ask the school directly about those programs and staffing.
Academically, the picture is mixed and worth a close look. On state assessments administered to grades three through eight, Nebo’s English language arts proficiency was solid, with roughly half of students meeting the state’s Level 4 or 5 bar. Math and science results were lower, with more than a third of students reaching that benchmark. Social studies trailed further. These results place the school in a range where a parent may want to discuss with the principal how the school supports students in math and science, particularly since the elementary and middle grades are foundational for those subjects. All tested students participated at a very high rate, so the results reflect nearly the full enrolled population in those grades.
The school serves a pre-K-through-8 grade span, meaning there is no high school graduation rate to report. For secondary-level metrics like Advanced Placement, career pathways, or dual enrollment, the school does not offer them by nature of its grade band. Students who continue into high school attend Jena High School or another parish secondary school after eighth grade.
The housing market in the area around Nebo and Jena is relatively affordable. Home values are well below state and national benchmarks, and a typical mortgage payment in the current interest-rate environment is low. The economic context section shows a national unemployment rate that was moderate and stable. Jena itself is a small rural town with a historic three-block center on Oak Street, a 30-acre town park along Hemps Creek, and a general hospital, an immigration detention facility, and a manufacturing plant as major employers. The town adopted a growth plan called “Jena’s Vision” in response to a planned highway bypass that threatened the downtown economy, and it saw modest population growth in recent years.
The district brief for LaSalle Parish turned up little of lasting impact for parent-relevant changes, so no specific recent developments at the district level are available to report. The school’s own site or the parish school board office would be the next step for a parent seeking information on enrichment programs, before- or after-school care, or transportation arrangements, since those specifics were not part of the data provided.
For a family that values a small, rural school setting with a predominantly same-background peer group and a strong turnout on testing, Nebo Elementary offers a straightforward pre-K-through-8 pathway. The academic results, particularly in math and science, are areas where a parent would want to ask about instructional strategies and intervention support. The lack of data on special education and English learner populations is a gap to close with a direct call to the school.
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