The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on A. A. Nelson Elementary School
A. A. Nelson Elementary School is a regular public school in Lake Charles serving grades PK through 05, part of the Calcasieu Parish school district. The school sits in a residential area of a mid-sized city that functions as a major industrial, petrochemical, and cultural hub for southwest Louisiana, home to McNeese State University and several large employers in refining and casino tourism. The neighborhood context around the school includes established single-family homes; the housing market in the area has seen modest appreciation in recent years, and rents have risen. The city itself has experienced population decline since 2020, compounded by severe damage from Hurricanes Laura and Delta that year, though the downtown development authority continues to actively plan for growth.
The school’s enrollment is substantial for an elementary campus serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The student body is diverse: just over two-fifths of students are white, roughly one-third are Black, and a sizable share of Asian students is present as well, with smaller shares of Hispanic students and students of two or more races. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a middle-income range relative to the community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those populations are served.
A. A. Nelson’s academic performance presents a mixed picture that parents will want to weigh carefully. On state assessments, a solid majority of students scored at or above proficiency in English language arts, which is a clear strength. In math, exactly half of students reached the proficient level. Science and social studies both showed a lower share of students meeting the bar, with less than two-fifths reaching proficiency in each. Taken together, these results place the school’s overall proficiency index above the top of the range of the small number of district-level comparisons available within Calcasieu Parish. The school has strong participation rates on testing, and the data covers a single year, so no trend is available yet. A parent may want to ask how the school approaches science and social studies instruction, given the gap between those subjects and reading.
Because this is an elementary school that does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Likewise, data on chronic absenteeism and course access was not available. The school is a regular public school, not a charter, and no magnet or Title I status was listed in the data.
The district itself recently renewed two property tax millages that generate funding for teacher salaries and school operations without raising the tax rate, and it has implemented a districtwide literacy initiative focused on structured reading instruction, which earned recognition from the Louisiana School Boards Association. The district also passed a substantially larger than normal budget in a recent year driven by FEMA rebuilding funds after the 2020 hurricanes, funding major construction and renovation of multiple school facilities. These larger district-level actions suggest stable operational funding and a system investing in both instructional approach and physical plant over the long term.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a diverse, moderately sized elementary school where reading performance is a notable strength, math performance is even, and science and social studies lag behind. The community context includes a city that has taken hard hits from recent hurricanes but continues to invest in its downtown and waterfront. The district is pursuing a focused literacy overhaul and has secured continued tax revenue for staffing. A parent who places a high value on early literacy outcomes may find the school appealing, while those concerned with science and social studies instruction may want to ask how the school plans to strengthen those areas.
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