Enrollment
265
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lake Charles, LA
Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School
Federal NCES profile for Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 220033000251
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of Louisiana schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana schools.
- #5 of 5
- middle schools in Lake Charles · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 88.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School ranks #5 of 5 middle schools in Lake Charles, LA.
School address
District: Calcasieu Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220033000251 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.6%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School
Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Lake Charles, Louisiana, enrolling 265 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11:1, Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School is leaner than roughly 91% of Louisiana schools and 35% under the state's 16.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 88.6% of students qualify for free meals, 42% above the Louisiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 265 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 1,330 Louisiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 186 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #185, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1060 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
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.
Discipline events run high: 233 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 265 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lake Charles's middle schools, it stands alongside S. J. Welsh Middle School (1,011 students): Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11:1 vs 13.3:1).
Calcasieu Parish also operates Sulphur High School (1,911 students) and Alfred M. Barbe High School (1,908 students) alongside Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet 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 Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School compares
Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet 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 | 11:1 | ▼ 35% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.6% | ▲ 42% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 265 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
265
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% above the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11:1
students per teacher
- 35% below state mean
Top 9% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
129
in-school suspensions + 104 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 48.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 87.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 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
African American 94.0%
Two or More 2.6%
White 1.5%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 94.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.5, Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Calcasieu Parish, which includes Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet 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 Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sulphur High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alfred M. Barbe High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sam Houston High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| S. J. Welsh Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Iowa High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet 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 middle schools in Lake Charles
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
S. J. Welsh Middle School
Standard public school
1,011 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Moss Bluff Middle School
Standard public school
781 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
F. K. White Middle School
Standard public school
614 students 14:1 students per teacher
Oak Park Middle School
Standard public school
388 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~265 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School's federal record.
- Compare Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet 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 Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School
How many students attend Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School?
Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School has 265 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lake Charles, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School is 11:1, which is 35% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 30% 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 Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School?
88.6% of students at Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School?
The largest demographic group at Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School is African American at 94.0% of enrollment, in Lake Charles, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School?
Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower 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 Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School rank among middle schools in Lake Charles?
By Resource Investment Index, Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School ranks #5 of 5 middle 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 middle schools in Lake Charles on the city page.
Is Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School a good school?
Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of Louisiana schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet 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.