The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in Math. The lowest is 38% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on E. K. Key Elementary School
E. K. Key Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Sulphur, a mid-sized city in Calcasieu Parish with a strong industrial base centered on oil refineries and petrochemical plants. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and sits within the Calcasieu Parish district. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students who are Black, a smaller share who are Hispanic, and a modest number who identify as two or more races. A significant majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with considerable economic need.
The school is large for an elementary campus, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across kindergarten through fifth grade and a prekindergarten program that adds to the total. The student body is diverse in economic background, though less so in racial composition, with white students making up the majority.
On state assessments administered through Louisiana's LEAP 2025 program, E. K. Key Elementary posted results that place it in the top quartile among districts in Calcasieu Parish for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. In both math and English language arts, roughly half of students scored at the proficient level or above. Science proficiency was lower, with a smaller share of students meeting the bar, and social studies fell in between. The school's proficiency index, which averages results across all tested subjects, sits above the midpoint of the comparison set. These are solid results for a school where a majority of students qualify for economic support, and they suggest that the school is performing well relative to its peers in the parish.
The school's academic data covers only a single year, so there is no trend to assess. The state assessment in social studies underwent a cut-score change, which means the social studies results may not be directly comparable to prior years, but that does not affect the current snapshot.
E. K. Key Elementary is part of the Calcasieu Parish district, which has seen several recent developments that parents may want to know about. Voters renewed two property tax millages in late 2024 that fund teacher salaries and school operations, securing ongoing revenue without a tax increase. The district has also implemented a districtwide literacy initiative focused on structured literacy and reading intervention, an effort that earned a Magna Award in early 2025. Additionally, the district passed a budget in the 2022-23 school year that was far larger than typical, driven by FEMA reimbursement and rebuilding funds following Hurricanes Laura and Delta, funding the construction or renovation of at least ten school facilities. These investments signal a district that is stabilizing its finances and infrastructure after a period of disruption.
Sulphur itself is a mid-sized city with a family-oriented identity, named the third best city in Louisiana to raise a family in a recent ranking. The local economy is dominated by oil refineries and petrochemical plants, with Citgo and Sasol as major employers. Housing values in the area are below the state average, and rents are modest, making the community relatively affordable. New development is concentrated south of town and around the interstate, while the older core near downtown holds civic and cultural institutions like the Brimstone Museum and Heritage Square. The city is car-dependent, with major highways providing regional access.
For a family considering E. K. Key Elementary, the picture is one of a large, economically diverse school in a stable, family-oriented industrial city, with academic results that are solidly above the parish average. The district has made recent investments in literacy instruction and school facilities, and the local housing market is affordable. The school's proficiency in science is a softer area, and a parent may want to ask the school about how it supports science learning in the elementary grades. Overall, this is a school that serves its community well, with a clear academic baseline and a district that has been investing in its future.
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