Cowen Institute polls provide insights into how parents and guardians view New Orleans' uniquely decentralized K-12 public education system. This is the first of two briefs on the 2024-2025 poll, which is based on polling conducted in the fall of 2024. The survey polled 1,000 public and private school parents and guardians in Orleans Parish, as well as a small number who homeschool their children, to capture the experiences and attitudes of a wide range of parents. This brief covers the following issues: (1) The overall direction of the city of New Orleans; (2) The major concerns facing the city; (3) New Orleans Public Schools (NOLA-PS); (4) The best aspects of public education in New Orleans; (5) The biggest areas of concern in public education in New Orleans; (6) Charter schools; (7) Performance of the schools where parents and guardians sent their children; (8) NCAP or the New Orleans Common Application Process; and (9) The Orleans Public School Board (OPSB) and the upcoming elections for the Board. Overall, the parents and guardians polled this year appear slightly more optimistic about the state of New Orleans generally, and public education in the city than in 2023. However, this poll's findings continue to indicate there are significant disparities in how different demographic populations feel about public education, along with their access to high quality instruction and schools.