Enrollment
650
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lake Charles, LA
Gillis Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gillis Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220033001674
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gillis Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Louisiana schools.
- #8 of 22
- schools in Lake Charles · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.1:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 45.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Gillis Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gillis Elementary School ranks #8 of 22 schools in Lake Charles, LA.
School address
District: Calcasieu Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220033001674 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.0%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gillis Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gillis Elementary School
Gillis Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Lake Charles, Louisiana, enrolling 650 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 650 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 297 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #99.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (8%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 520 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Calcasieu Parish spends $20,543 per pupil, 25% above the Louisiana average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lake Charles's public schools, it stands alongside Moss Bluff Elementary School (969 students): Gillis Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.1:1 vs 18.3:1).
Calcasieu Parish also operates Sulphur High School (1,911 students) and Alfred M. Barbe High School (1,908 students) alongside Gillis Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Gillis Elementary School compares
Gillis Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.1:1 | ▼ 16% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.0% | ▼ 28% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 650 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
650
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 27% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
4.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$20,543
per pupil, district-wide
- above Louisiana avg of $16,376
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 520 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
47
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 78.5%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
African American 7.7%
Two or More 5.2%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 78.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.8, Gillis Elementary School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Calcasieu Parish, which includes Gillis Elementary School.
$20,543
Per student
+25%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.6%
State 27.7%
Federal 17.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Gillis Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sulphur High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alfred M. Barbe High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sam Houston High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| S. J. Welsh Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Iowa High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gillis Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,911
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,908
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,011
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 1,007
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Lake Charles
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Moss Bluff Elementary School
Standard public school
969 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Lake Charles Charter Academy
Standard public school
951 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy
Standard public school
852 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
A. a. Nelson Elementary School
Standard public school
736 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
St. John Elementary School
Standard public school
670 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Prien Lake Elementary School
Standard public school
639 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~650 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gillis Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gillis Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Calcasieu Parish's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Gillis Elementary School
How many students attend Gillis Elementary School?
Gillis Elementary School has 650 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lake Charles, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gillis Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gillis Elementary School is 14.1:1, which is 16% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gillis Elementary School?
45.0% of students at Gillis Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gillis Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gillis Elementary School is White at 78.5% of enrollment, in Lake Charles, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gillis Elementary School?
Gillis Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Gillis Elementary School rank among schools in Lake Charles?
By Resource Investment Index, Gillis Elementary School ranks #8 of 22 schools in Lake Charles, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lake Charles on the city page.
Is Gillis Elementary School a good school?
Gillis Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Louisiana schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Calcasieu Parish?
Besides Gillis Elementary School, Calcasieu Parish also operates Sulphur High School (1,911 students), Alfred M. Barbe High School (1,908 students), and Sam Houston High School (1,141 students). See the Calcasieu Parish district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.