The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on W. Smith Jr. Elementary School
W. Smith Jr. Elementary School is a regular public school serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in the census-designated place of Violet, a small residential corridor on the east bank of the Mississippi River in St. Bernard Parish. The school sits along St. Bernard Highway, the main thoroughfare that strings together the parish’s communities. Violet does not have a traditional downtown or walkable commercial core; its civic and school facilities are spread along the highway, and the area’s most prominent recreational anchor is St. Bernard State Park at the community’s edge. The housing stock is predominantly single-family homes, and home values in the area are lower than state and national benchmarks, making it a comparatively affordable market for buyers.
The school is part of the St. Bernard Parish school district. The district’s publicly reported recent changes are minimal; no major curriculum shifts, bond referendums, or policy overhauls were identified. This suggests a stable operational environment without significant disruptions or new initiatives for families to track.
W. Smith Jr. Elementary enrolls a sizable student body for its elementary grade band, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across kindergarten through second grade and slightly smaller cohorts in grades three through five. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Black, with a modest Hispanic presence and a small share of white students, along with a small number of students identifying as two or more races or as American Indian or Alaska Native. Data on special education and English learner populations was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its programs for students with disabilities and multilingual learners.
On the state’s LEAP 2025 assessments, which are Louisiana’s regular testing program for grades three through eight, W. Smith Jr. Elementary’s proficiency rates are mixed. In English language arts, roughly a third of students scored at the proficient level or above. In math, about a quarter of students reached that bar. These are lower than many readers would hope for, and a parent considering the school will want to look into this further with the school and ask about the instructional strategies and interventions in place.
The results in science and social studies are notably lower, with a small share of students scoring proficient or above. The social studies assessment had a cut-score change in the most recent testing year, which means the results may not be directly comparable to prior years, but the current figure is still a soft spot that warrants attention. Because only one year of data is available for these subjects, there is no trend line to indicate whether performance is improving or declining.
The school had full participation on test day, which means the results reflect nearly the entire tested population rather than a select subset. No chronic absenteeism or discipline data was available in the source material, so families cannot assess attendance patterns or school climate from this data set. Staffing ratios and course access information were also missing, leaving a gap in understanding class sizes and resource availability.
The neighbor comparison tool could not position the school relative to other St. Bernard Parish elementary schools because the county contains only one school district, making a within-county comparison impossible. All parish public schools fall under the same district administration, so this school’s performance is best understood as a reflection of the district’s overall outcomes rather than a standout or outlier within a local competitive set.
The community is still recovering its population from the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina, which caused a steep decline and a subsequent rebound that has now leveled into near-stagnation. The most significant economic development on the horizon is the proposed Louisiana International Terminal Project, a large container ship terminal, which would be a major industrial employer if built. Current employment is not heavily documented, but the economy is likely tied to public services and the New Orleans metro area.
For a family considering W. Smith Jr. Elementary, the picture is one of a stable, affordable community with a school that serves a high-needs population and produces uneven academic results. The school’s strengths in participation and its role as a neighborhood anchor are clear, but the proficiency numbers, particularly in math, science, and social studies, are areas where a parent will want to engage the school directly to understand the support structures in place.
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