The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School
Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School, located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, serves sixth through eighth grade as part of the Calcasieu Parish district. The school is a regular public school, and its name includes "Magnet" though the data does not indicate a formal magnet designation. Enrollment is small for a middle school, and the student body is overwhelmingly Black, with a very small share of white, Hispanic, or multiracial students. An extremely high proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the families the school serves.
State assessment results from the 2024–25 school year, based on Louisiana's LEAP 2025 tests, show low rates of proficiency across all subjects tested. In English language arts, about a quarter of students scored at the proficient level or above. In mathematics, the share was roughly one in eight. In science and social studies, proficiency was even lower, coming in below one in ten for science and about one in seven for social studies. These are the only test results available for this school; only one year of data is reported, so there is no information on whether performance is improving or declining. The school’s overall proficiency across subjects places it in the bottom quartile among schools in Calcasieu Parish districts, a comparison that gives parents a grounded sense of where it stands relative to local peers.
Because Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, as that metric applies only to high schools. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and student access to advanced courses were not available in the source materials. A parent seeking a fuller picture of school climate and academic offerings may want to contact the school directly.
The broader community context matters. Lake Charles is a mid-sized city that serves as an industrial and cultural hub for southwest Louisiana, anchored by petrochemical refineries, a casino industry, and two colleges. The city was severely damaged by Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020, and recovery has included major school rebuilding funded through FEMA reimbursement, part of an unusually large district budget passed in 2022–23. The Calcasieu Parish district has also launched a districtwide literacy initiative that won a Magna Award in 2025, signaling a shift in how reading is taught across its schools. In 2024, voters renewed property tax millages that support teacher salaries and school operations, maintaining funding without a tax increase.
For a family considering this school, the central facts are a student body with very high economic need and academic proficiency rates that are low across the board, especially in math and science. The district is investing in literacy and rebuilding schools, but those efforts have not yet reached the test results reported here. A parent would want to understand what interventions and supports are in place at the school, and whether the magnet designation carries any specialized program that shapes the curriculum or admissions. The available data does not describe those details, so that would be an important question for the school’s leadership.
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