Gillis Elementary School

Gillis Elementary School is an average-sized elementary campus in Lake Charles, Louisiana, operated by Calcasieu Parish. The school hosts 650 students in grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Louisiana's public schools average about 453 students each, so Gillis Elementary School sits 43% larger than that benchmark.

Calcasieu Parish runs 56 schools in total, collectively educating 27,851 students. Gillis Elementary School is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, Gillis Elementary School records that 78% of the student body identifies as White. Other groups include 8% Hispanic, 8% Black, 5% multiracial. That is considerably more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 66%.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, Gillis Elementary School has 54 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.1:1. The state averages around 14.0:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 54% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Gillis Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 45.6%; this one delivers 47.7%.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Calcasieu Parish) reports that median household earnings sit near $67,564, 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 13%. Across Calcasieu Parish's 61 public schools (combined enrollment of about 30,278 students), Gillis Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Moss Bluff Middle School, roughly 5.0 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Gillis Elementary School at 2nd of 5; the average score across the group is 32.9%.

Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Gillis Elementary School has edged down 20%, going from 813 students in 2018 to 650 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 84% to 78% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 17.7:1 in 2018 to 12.1:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the Gillis Elementary School community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.