M. J. Kaufman Elementary School

M. J. Kaufman Elementary School, a tight-knit elementary campus in Lake Charles, Louisiana, operated by Calcasieu Parish, enrolls 308 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 32% smaller than the typical public school in Louisiana, which averages around 453 students.

Across the 56 schools in Calcasieu Parish (27,851 students total), M. J. Kaufman Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, M. J. Kaufman Elementary School lists that the most-represented group is Black (43%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Beyond that, the school shows 38% White, 9% multiracial, 8% Hispanic. By comparison, Calcasieu Parish as a whole is about 23% Black, so the school skews noticeably more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 10.1:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 14.0:1 average. About 82% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is higher than Calcasieu Parish's rate of about 59%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, M. J. Kaufman Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 25.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 32.7%.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Calcasieu Parish indicate median household earnings sit near $67,564, about 25% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 13%. Across Calcasieu Parish's 61 public schools (combined enrollment of about 30,278 students), M. J. Kaufman Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Dolby Elementary School, around 0.9 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around M. J. Kaufman Elementary School. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), M. J. Kaufman Elementary School ranks 4th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 33.0%.

Geographically, the school is in an outer-ring area.

Five-year trend. M. J. Kaufman Elementary School's enrollment has edged down 26% since 2018, when it stood at 418 (now 308). White enrollment moved from 45% to 38% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 16.4:1 in 2018 to 10.1:1 in 2025.

On this page, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.