The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 39% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Westwood Elementary School
Westwood Elementary School serves prekindergarten through second grade in Westlake, a small industrial city in Calcasieu Parish, part of the Lake Charles metropolitan area. Because the school serves only the earliest grades, state testing data is available only for grades three through five, which Westwood does not serve. The academic performance data on file comes from a period when the school still included those upper elementary grades, and it is now several years old. A parent looking at current classroom outcomes will find no recent state test results for this school, and that gap is a direct consequence of the grade band it serves.
The school is a regular public school within the Calcasieu Parish system. It is not a charter or magnet school. Enrollment is concentrated in kindergarten through second grade, with a prekindergarten program as well. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Black students and a modest presence of Hispanic students and students of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a meaningful portion of families are working with limited household budgets.
The older state testing data, from a time when the school served grades three through five, shows a mixed picture. In fourth-grade English language arts, a majority of students met the proficiency bar, while in third-grade English language arts, fewer than half did. Math results varied by grade, with fifth-grade math showing roughly half of students proficient and fourth-grade math showing a lower share. Science and social studies results for fourth grade were reported as ranges, with the lower end of those ranges suggesting that a parent may want to look into this further with the school. Because the data is from a single past year and the school now serves only prekindergarten through second grade, these results do not reflect current instruction.
The school sits within the Calcasieu Parish district, which has made recent investments that affect Westwood families. In 2024, voters renewed property tax millages that fund teacher salaries and school operations, securing ongoing revenue without a rate increase. The district has also launched a literacy initiative across all grade levels, which won a statewide award in 2025. After Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020, the district passed a large budget driven by FEMA reimbursement funds to rebuild or renovate at least 10 school facilities, a long-term investment in physical infrastructure.
Westlake itself is a small industrial city on the west bank of the Calcasieu River, connected to Lake Charles by the Interstate 10 bridge. Chemical plants and oil refineries anchor the local economy, with major employers including Sasol, PPG, and Georgia Gulf. Residential subdivisions are being developed around the National Golf Club of Louisiana on the north end of the city. The city supplies its own water and natural gas, and wastewater is treated at a regional facility in Sulphur. The city's motto, "A Growing Family Community," reflects an ambition for residential growth alongside its industrial base.
Housing in the area is priced below the national median, and rents are also below the national benchmark, making the community relatively affordable for families. The typical home value and rent in the area are both lower than the national figures, and the estimated rent-to-income ratio is modest.
For a family considering Westwood, the school's early-grade focus means children will transition to another elementary school after second grade. The available academic data is old and does not cover the grades the school currently serves, so a parent will want to ask the school directly about current early literacy and math instruction. The district's recent literacy initiative may be relevant to that conversation. The school's enrollment is moderate for its grade band, and the student body is predominantly white with a notable share of students from lower-income households. The surrounding community is shaped by industrial employment, with ongoing residential development and a stable tax base supporting the district's operations.
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