Public schools in Lake Charles, LA
32 open public schools with an address in Lake Charles, operated by 4 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
32
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
17,614
32 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
11.4:1
Louisiana median 13.3:1
Charter schools
2
3 magnet · 0 virtual
An overview of Lake Charles public schools
The federal directory lists 32 public schools in Lake Charles, LA: 21 elementary, 5 middle, 6 high. The 32 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 17,614 students, an average of 550 per school. The largest campus is Alfred M. Barbe High School (1,908 students), and the largest elementary school is Moss Bluff Elementary School (969).
Calcasieu Parish operates the most schools here (28), and 2 regular districts have at least one Lake Charles campus, plus 2 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 11.4:1, lower than the statewide school median of 13.3:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 2 charter schools, 3 magnet schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 6 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 6 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 1 of 6 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 60% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Lake Charles
Calcasieu Parish
Public school district
28 schools in Lake Charles · 55 total
Cameron Parish
Public school district
2 schools in Lake Charles · 5 total
Lake Charles Charter Academy Foundation Inc.
Independent charter agency
1 school in Lake Charles
Lake Charles College Prep
Independent charter agency
1 school in Lake Charles
Elementary schools in Lake Charles
21| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. A. Nelson Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 736 | 15.2:1 | |
| Barbe Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 179 | 11.5:1 | |
| Brentwood Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 272 | 10.4:1 | |
| College Oaks Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 278 | 10.4:1 | |
| Combre-Fondel Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | KG–05 | 426 | 13.9:1 | |
| Dolby Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 360 | 11.5:1 | |
| Fairview Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 518 | 11.2:1 | |
| Gillis Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 650 | 12.1:1 | |
| Grand Lake Elementary Cameron Parish | PK–06 | 351 | 10.4:1 | |
| Henry Heights Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 315 | 9.4:1 | |
| John J. Johnson II Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 131 | 10.9:1 | |
| Lake Charles Charter Academy Lake Charles Charter Academy Foundation Inc. · Charter | PK–08 | 951 | 16.3:1 | |
| LeBleu Settlement Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 386 | 14.1:1 | |
| M. J. Kaufman Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 308 | 10.1:1 | |
| Moss Bluff Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 969 | 14.2:1 | |
| Oak Park Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 259 | 10.3:1 | |
| Pearl Watson Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 219 | 11:1 | |
| Prien Lake Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 639 | 12.9:1 | |
| St. John Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | PK–05 | 670 | 12.9:1 | |
| T. H. Watkins Elementary School Calcasieu Parish | KG–05 | 165 | 10:1 | |
| T. S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School Calcasieu Parish · Magnet | KG–05 | 300 | 18.8:1 |
Middle schools in Lake Charles
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F. K. White Middle School Calcasieu Parish | 06–08 | 614 | 8.8:1 | |
| Moss Bluff Middle School Calcasieu Parish | 06–08 | 781 | 12.7:1 | |
| Oak Park Middle School Calcasieu Parish | 06–08 | 388 | 9.1:1 | |
| Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School Calcasieu Parish · Magnet | 06–08 | 265 | 8.9:1 | |
| S. J. Welsh Middle School Calcasieu Parish | 06–08 | 1,011 | 11.2:1 |
High schools in Lake Charles
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred M. Barbe High School Calcasieu Parish | 09–12 | 1,908 | 16.9:1 | |
| Grand Lake High School Cameron Parish | 07–12 | 322 | 11.1:1 | |
| LaGrange High School Calcasieu Parish | 09–12 | 881 | 9.4:1 | |
| Lake Charles College Prep Lake Charles College Prep · Charter | 09–12 | 624 | 17:1 | |
| Sam Houston High School Calcasieu Parish | 09–12 | 1,141 | 14.8:1 | |
| Washington/Marion Magnet High School Calcasieu Parish · Magnet | 09–12 | 597 | 12.5:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White40.5%
- Hispanic8.9%
- Black44.2%
- Asian2.3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial3.7%
Enrollment-weighted across 32 Lake Charles schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (17,614 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Lake Charles
How many public schools are in Lake Charles, LA?
The current NCES directory lists 32 open public schools with a location address in Lake Charles: 21 elementary, 5 middle, 6 high. Together they reported 17,614 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Lake Charles?
Schools with an address in Lake Charles belong to 4 education agencies, led by Calcasieu Parish (28 schools), Cameron Parish (2 schools), Lake Charles Charter Academy Foundation Inc. (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Lake Charles?
Alfred M. Barbe High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Lake Charles, with 1,908 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Lake Charles?
Yes. 2 of the 32 public schools in Lake Charles are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Lake Charles Charter Academy, Lake Charles College Prep. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Lake Charles schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Lake Charles public schools is 11.4:1, lower than the Louisiana school median of 13.3:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Lake Charles guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Louisiana cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Louisiana cities