A. A. Nelson Elementary School

Set in Lake Charles, Louisiana, A. A. Nelson Elementary School is a heavily attended K-5 school, operated by Calcasieu Parish. It instructs 736 students across grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 453 students per school, that is 62% larger than typical.

A. A. Nelson Elementary School is one of 56 schools operated by Calcasieu Parish, a district that caters to 27,851 students overall.

In terms of who attends, A. A. Nelson Elementary School shows that the largest single group is White at 41%, but no single group is in the majority. The remainder comes out to 34% Black, 13% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 4% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 66% White, putting the school's mix considerably less White than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, A. A. Nelson Elementary School has 48 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.2:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 14.0:1 average. Around 57% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, A. A. Nelson Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 43.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 48.7%.

In the surrounding community, the surrounding county (Calcasieu Parish) reports that median household earnings sit near $67,564, about 25% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 13%. A. A. Nelson Elementary School is one of 61 public schools in Calcasieu Parish (combined enrollment of about 30,278 students).

The closest other public school is S. J. Welsh Middle School, roughly 0.8 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), A. A. Nelson Elementary School ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 41.4%.

The school occupies a downtown site.

Trend over the last 7 years. A. A. Nelson Elementary School's enrollment has fell 5% since 2018, when it stood at 778 (now 736). Over the same period, the White share edged down from 48% to 41%. Class-load math has fell: from 18.5:1 in 2018 to 15.2:1 in 2025.

On the community side, members of the A. A. Nelson Elementary School community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.