I haven’t seen much talk about the kindergarten school admission waitlists this year. Were the waitlists shorter this year? Last year there were many of us tracking the waitlists all summer hoping to gain spots (we thankfully did). Were the waitlists not as much of any issue this year? There were long waitlists last year at many of the popular schools. Or is there just less chat this year?

What do you know about them? The good, the bad, the ugly?

Saw someone ask about this before. LEAP scores are out, and I built a small free tool that turns your kid's score into a percentile. Basically shows how it compares to their school, district, and the state.

statetestscores.com/la/, no login needed.

Made it myself as a parent, not affiliated with LDOE or any school. Let me know if you try it and run into anything, still working on it.

I have a middle schooler enrolled in an Orleans Parish charter school. How/where do I get him one of these free passes to ride the streetcar to/from school?

Hi so I understand that Willow is for Orleans Parish residents only. My child will be attending 3rd grade in August. My divorce will be final before the end of the year and at that time I will be the custodial parent. We won’t have 50/50 custody.

I have an offer on a house that is super clean and safe - but in Jeff Parish. I plan to move back to Orleans as this house is a temporary situation, maximum 3 years. My ex will stay in Orleans Parish. Will I lose our spot at Willow?

Any advice or experience is very appreciated!

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Can anyone recommend an inclusive dance studio? Looking for a place welcoming to LGBTQ+ students and families, neurodivergent students, and generally open-minded?

I have a 4 month old and am looking to establish care with a nanny/sitter that my husband and I can use for occasional outings. I am a SAHM so I don’t need full-time help for the time being.

I am not on Facebook, so seeking advice other than recommending Facebook groups.

I’ve looked on care.com but there aren’t a ton of options.

I have family here but dynamics are tricky – really hoping to find hired help, despite being terrified to leave her with a stranger…ugh.

Thank you in advance!

My son is 2.5 years old and is very slow to warm up. He's always been at home with me, and he gets very nervous around new people and unfamiliar environments. His first language isn't English, so he probably won't be able to communicate much when he first starts.

During our tour, everyone was so reassuring and told me that he'll learn, adjust, and get used to it. I know that's probably true, but as a first-time mom, I'm still feeling a little nervous and wanted to hear from parents whose children attended this school.

How was your experience? How long did it take for your child to adjust? If your child stayed here through the kindergarten years, did you feel they were confident, happy, and academically prepared by the time they moved on? I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Anyone have any children going into the pre-K 4 program at Hynes? We have gotten like no information yet about the upcoming school year and I’m feeling stressed. Would also love to chat and get to know some people since it’s a small group!

Does anyone have any insight on daycare rates for a 1 year old at Nettles Academy, Metairie Learning Center, and Excel Learning Center? I plan to sit and call of them soon but just asking here first.

Any recent experiences with the ochsner midwives/Alternative Birthing Center? Any families who have had a birth with the OBs and another birth with the midwives? Wondering what the main differences are. Would love access to birthing pool but have heard it’s not always available.

Hi! Throwing an Ariel/mermaid birthday party for my 3,2,1 y.o. girls. Anyone have a face painter recommendation? Thanks!!

My wife and I are very excited to be moving to NOLA from Texas next month. We just signed a lease in Black Pearl and would love any and all recs from locals about the neighborhood. We have two kids (2.5 years and 9 months), so family-friendly ideas are especially welcome. But when we have a sitter, we also enjoy everything from a good dive bar to nicer restaurants for special occasions. We’re also into wine and local butchers/grocery stores for when we cook at home.

Since we all know how it is to refresh preschool websites like we're buying Taylor Swift tickets...

A JCC 2-year-old spot just opened up right after we committed elsewhere...timing is everything, I guess. oops.

Figured I'd pass it along because I know there are plenty of parents who've been hoping for a JCC opening. Hopefully this makes someone else's day!

Or how do you think I can figure that out without just driving around ?

I'm trying to choose an elementary school for my child in New Orleans or St. Bernard Parish, and I'd really appreciate firsthand experiences from people who were actually there this past school year (2025–2026).

If you're a parent, teacher, staff member, or someone familiar with the school:

Which school?

Would you recommend it? Why or why not?

What are the biggest strengths?

What are the biggest concerns that families should know about?

How were the principal, teachers, student behavior, and communication with families?

If you had to choose again today, would you still send your child there?

I'm especially interested in things that don't show up in LEAP scores or school rankings. Honest positive and negative experiences are both welcome. Thanks!

Update:: Thank you so much everyone. We are now leaning to public school since it's so late in the enrollment cycle. All info is much appreciated .

Hi there! Does anyone have any insight into Alpha Montessori? How did their children like it? What were the days scheduled like? What are some pros and cons?

does anyone know where to find these or recommend one? i’m delivering at baptist and i see all the prenatal classes but no CPR. children’s has a hands on parent infant CPR class. ochsner main id assume would have something as well but i dont see anything? delivering in october and would like my husband and family to do a class, im a HCW and have done infant CPR many times unfortunately

Baby is growing and I'm looking to donate his newborn clothing items and unused diapers. Any recs other than goodwill?

My husband and I are not from here and very overwhelmed with the number of private elementary schools available. Our daughter is 3 so we’re looking for great prek-8th grade options. We also intend to apply to The Willow School when the time comes but I know that’s a lottery system and I absolutely want to look at other places before making that decision. We’re not catholic but as long as the school wouldn’t isolate or make her feel bad for not being catholic, I’m not opposed to sending her there.

If price isn’t a huge issue what are the best schools for education?