Highest NOLA School Grades Ever, But May Drop Next Year With New System

NOLA Public Schools Receives B Grade, But Changes Loom for the Future

NOLA Public Schools received a B letter grade from the state, according to data released on Thursday. This marks an improvement from three consecutive years of C grades and is the district’s highest score since 2018, when most of the city’s public schools were transitioned back under the Orleans Parish School Board after being under state control following Hurricane Katrina.

The rating system considers various factors from last school year’s data, including standardized test scores and graduation rates, to evaluate how well schools are performing by state standards. However, this system is set to change significantly next year, and district officials warn that scores may drop again once the new criteria take effect.

NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Fateama Fulmore celebrated the progress at a press conference held at Eleanor McMain Secondary School, calling the B rating a milestone for the city’s schools. While the letter grades are assigned by the state, they play a crucial role in determining whether or not a charter school is closed. All but one of the schools in the district are semi-autonomous charters, managed by nonprofit boards but still subject to regulation and potential closure by the district.

The only district-run school in the city, the Leah Chase School, received a D, its first letter grade since it opened for the 2024-2025 school year. Poor academic performance, as indicated by a failing grade, can lead to the non-renewal of a school’s charter when it comes up for renewal. This year, 13 schools are up for renewal, none of which received Fs. All had Cs both this year and last year, except for Young Audiences at Crocker, which dropped from a C to a D.

Three schools received F grades: Noble Minds, Dr. Martin Luther King Charter School, and Einstein Charter at Sherwood Forest. Not all of these schools continue to operate as they did previously. Noble Minds, which was at risk of closure due to poor performance, converted to a private school this school year. Dr. Martin Luther King Charter School, once a K-12 institution, now only operates its elementary and middle grades after an OPSB vote forced the closure of its high school.

Einstein Charter at Sherwood Forest is also undergoing major changes for the 2026-2027 school year. Einstein Charter Schools plans to consolidate three of its schools, including Sherwood Forest, due to poor academic performance. The school will also permanently close Sarah T. Reed High School, which earned a C.

Fulmore highlighted increases in scores across more than 50% of the district’s schools. Five schools moved from Bs to As this year, including New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy, Eleanor McMain Secondary School, Sophie B. Wright, Lycee Francais, and Frederick A. Douglass High School. District leaders also noted the significant improvement at Travis Hill School, which educates youths detained in the city’s jail and juvenile detention center, moving from a C to a B.

Adjustments Expected with New Rating System

But the future of school performance scores looks uncertain. The state is set to implement a new rating system next year, and a simulation of what’s to come shows that NOLA Public Schools might receive a C under the new metrics. Some schools that received As this year could fall as low as Ds.

Fulmore acknowledged that there will be adjustments to the new system. “You can expect some adjustment to the new system,” she said. “And it may look stark, once we get into the next couple of years, as we adjust. We went through that process with this current SPS model, and what you have seen from us as a system, that each year we make steady progress. We continue to improve year over year.”

The new rating system will focus more on test scores and stricter standards for student growth. It will also curve scores relative to statewide performance. For high schools, on-time graduation rates alone won’t be enough to earn high marks. Students must also pass certain thresholds on standardized tests and demonstrate readiness in one of three pathways: college, career, or military.

For a college pathway, students must score over a 20 on the ACT or 1040 on the SAT and have at least one dual enrollment credit at the time of graduation. High schoolers will also be taking fewer tests, while K-2 students will have to take both literacy and numeracy screeners.

Schools will also earn points for providing students with work opportunities outside of campus, such as internships and community partnerships. Organizations like YouthforceNOLA can help schools achieve these goals, but most will need to build these relationships from the ground up. Jamar McKneely, CEO of InspireNOLA, emphasized that creating these partnerships will require time and resources, which are currently uncertain at the city level.

“We’re still trying to determine for us to go out and get these credentials, do we have the revenue to bring it in house?” McKneely said. “Do we have the revenue to partner up with different agencies to offer these credentials? That has not been figured out.”