The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 27% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Andrew Jackson Middle School
Andrew Jackson Middle School serves grades six through eight in Chalmette, the parish seat of St. Bernard Parish, a community east of downtown New Orleans along the Mississippi River. The school is a regular public school within the St. Bernard Parish School District, housed in what was formerly the Andrew Jackson High School building. The area is primarily residential with commercial corridors and an industrial heritage, including a long-standing oil refinery presence. Chalmette is in a sustained post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding and growth phase, with the population recovering substantially from its post-storm low.
The student body reflects the broader demographic shifts of the parish. White students and Black students each account for roughly a third of the enrollment, with Hispanic students making up nearly another third. Asian students and students of two or more races are present in smaller shares, and a very small number of American Indian or Alaska Native students attend. A substantial majority of students come from low-income households, as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed.
On the state’s LEAP 2025 assessments, reading and English language arts proficiency is the school’s strongest area, with just under half of students scoring at the proficient or advanced level. In social studies, just over a third of students met that bar. Math and science proficiency rates are lower, with roughly a quarter of students reaching proficiency in each. These results represent a single year of data, as the state’s assessment framework underwent a change that makes direct year-over-year comparisons uncertain. The school does not serve grades that produce a graduation rate, so that metric does not apply here.
Chalmette does not have a traditional downtown. The parish government complex along a main highway serves as a civic anchor. Schools, including Andrew Jackson Middle, are spread across the community on separate campuses rather than clustered in a central district. The middle school shares its building’s history with the former high school, which was repaired and reopened after Hurricane Katrina. The community also has a high school campus and a separate Catholic school campus serving younger grades.
Housing in the Chalmette area, as reflected in the school’s ZIP code, is more affordable than the national median home value. Home values in the area have seen a slight decline year over year, while rents have increased. This combination means the monthly cost of renting is noticeably higher than a mortgage payment on a median-priced home at current interest rates, a dynamic families weighing homeownership versus renting may want to examine further. The national unemployment rate and median household income provide a broad economic backdrop, but local figures specific to Chalmette or St. Bernard Parish were not part of the available data.
Because St. Bernard Parish contains only one school district, there is no basis for comparing Andrew Jackson Middle School against neighboring districts within the parish on academic or attendance metrics. The school’s performance can be understood only against the state averages, and on that measure, a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the specific academic supports available, particularly in math and science. No recent curriculum changes, property tax measures, or district-level reforms were found in available public records, so the district context is largely stable and unchanged in the near term.
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