Enrollment
1,011
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lake Charles, LA
S. J. Welsh Middle School
Federal NCES profile for S. J. Welsh Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 220033000276
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
S. J. Welsh Middle School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of Louisiana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana schools.
- #1 of 5
- middle schools in Lake Charles · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 43.6%
- free-lunch eligible
S. J. Welsh Middle School has class sizes smaller than 79% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, S. J. Welsh Middle School ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Lake Charles, LA.
School address
District: Calcasieu Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220033000276 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
76.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.6%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How S. J. Welsh Middle School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at S. J. Welsh Middle School
S. J. Welsh Middle School is a large middle school in Lake Charles, Louisiana, enrolling 1,011 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Louisiana, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,011 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Among 149 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #13, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and African American (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.9% 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.
Discipline events run high: 372 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,011 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 12 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lake Charles's middle schools, it stands alongside Moss Bluff Middle School (781 students): S. J. Welsh Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 15.6:1).
Calcasieu Parish also operates Sulphur High School (1,911 students) and Alfred M. Barbe High School (1,908 students) alongside S. J. Welsh Middle 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 S. J. Welsh Middle School compares
S. J. Welsh Middle 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 21% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.6% | ▼ 30% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,011 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,011
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 21% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
222
in-school suspensions + 150 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 22.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 12 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 50.5%
African American 30.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
Asian 7.0%
Two or More 4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 50.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, S. J. Welsh Middle School is more 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 S. J. Welsh Middle 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 S. J. Welsh Middle 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 | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Iowa High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moss Bluff Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to S. J. Welsh Middle 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
- 1,007
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 969
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools in Lake Charles
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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
Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School
Standard public school
265 students 11:1 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 (~1,011 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on S. J. Welsh Middle School's federal record.
- Compare S. J. Welsh Middle 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 S. J. Welsh Middle School
How many students attend S. J. Welsh Middle School?
S. J. Welsh Middle School has 1,011 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lake Charles, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at S. J. Welsh Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at S. J. Welsh Middle School is 13.3:1, which is 21% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 15% 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 S. J. Welsh Middle School?
43.6% of students at S. J. Welsh Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of S. J. Welsh Middle School?
The largest demographic group at S. J. Welsh Middle School is White at 50.5% of enrollment, in Lake Charles, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for S. J. Welsh Middle School?
S. J. Welsh Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 S. J. Welsh Middle School rank among middle schools in Lake Charles?
By Resource Investment Index, S. J. Welsh Middle School ranks #1 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 S. J. Welsh Middle School a good school?
S. J. Welsh Middle School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of Louisiana schools. It is also more 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 S. J. Welsh Middle 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.