The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Oak Park Middle School
Oak Park Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade in Lake Charles, part of the Calcasieu Parish school district. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The student body is predominantly Black, with a smaller share of Hispanic students and a very small share of white students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school sits on Oak Park Boulevard in a city that is the seat of Calcasieu Parish and functions as an industrial and cultural hub for southwest Louisiana, anchored by petrochemical refining, casino-based tourism, and higher education institutions including McNeese State University. The city was heavily damaged by Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020, and rebuilding has been a defining context in recent years; the district itself passed an unusually large budget driven by FEMA reimbursement funds for facility reconstruction. In the 2024-25 school year, voters renewed property tax millages that support teacher salaries and school operations without increasing the rate, and the district has implemented a literacy initiative recognized with a Magna Award.
On state assessments, Oak Park Middle School’s proficiency rates are low across all tested subjects. In English language arts, about a quarter of students scored at the proficient level or above. In math, the share was below a tenth. In science, roughly one in eight students reached proficiency. In social studies, about one in five students met that bar. Participation rates were near universal. The school’s overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile among the small number of districts in Calcasieu Parish for which this comparison is available, a group that includes four districts. Only a single year of assessment data is reported, so there is no trend to examine.
Because the school serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to evaluate, and the data do not include information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, or course access. The school reported no data on the share of students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those groups are supported. The school is not a Title I school according to the data, though the high share of students qualifying for meal assistance might suggest otherwise; this is a detail worth clarifying with the district.
The housing context around the school is notably affordable relative to national benchmarks, with home values and rents below statewide medians. Rents have risen in recent years, but the area remains more accessible than many parts of the country. Lake Charles is a car-dependent city with a sprawling layout, though the downtown lakefront area offers pedestrian amenities and community events.
For a family considering Oak Park Middle School, the academic picture is the central concern. Proficiency rates are low in every subject, and the school is near the bottom of its county comparison. This is not a school where strong academic outcomes are the norm. A parent would want to understand what academic interventions and supports are in place, how the school is approaching literacy given the districtwide initiative, and what the school’s day-to-day instructional climate looks like. The school serves a student population that is by and large economically disadvantaged, which can shape the resources and challenges present in the building. Lake Charles itself has faced significant disruption from hurricanes, and while the district is investing in rebuilding, the physical and emotional recovery is ongoing. For a family whose priority is a middle school with strong academic performance data, this school is unlikely to be a match. For a family already in the neighborhood or committed to the public school in this part of Lake Charles, the practical questions are about what the school is doing to raise achievement and what programs, if any, it offers beyond the core academic subjects.
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