Enrollment
165
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lake Charles, LA
T. H. Watkins Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for T. H. Watkins Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 220033000273
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
T. H. Watkins Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Louisiana schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Lake Charles · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.8:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 85.9%
- free-lunch eligible
T. H. Watkins Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 88% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, T. H. Watkins Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Lake Charles, LA.
School address
District: Calcasieu Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220033000273 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.9%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How T. H. Watkins Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at T. H. Watkins Elementary School
T. H. Watkins Elementary School is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Lake Charles, Louisiana, enrolling 165 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.8:1, T. H. Watkins Elementary School is leaner than roughly 88% of Louisiana schools and 30% under the state's 16.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 85.9% of students qualify for free meals, 37% above the Louisiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of Louisiana schools, with 165 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 93 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #59.
Its student body is predominantly African American (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 165 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.7% 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.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lake Charles's elementary schools, it stands alongside Combre-Fondel Elementary School (426 students): T. H. Watkins Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.8:1 vs 17.8:1).
Calcasieu Parish also operates Sulphur High School (1,911 students) and Alfred M. Barbe High School (1,908 students) alongside T. H. Watkins 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 T. H. Watkins Elementary School compares
T. H. Watkins 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 30% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.9% | ▲ 37% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 165 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
165
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 12% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.7%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 165 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 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
African American 89.1%
Two or More 4.2%
White 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 3.0%
Largest group: African American at 89.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.2, T. H. Watkins Elementary 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 T. H. Watkins 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 T. H. Watkins Elementary 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 T. H. Watkins 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 elementary schools in Lake Charles
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~165 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on T. H. Watkins Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare T. H. Watkins 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 T. H. Watkins Elementary School
How many students attend T. H. Watkins Elementary School?
T. H. Watkins Elementary School has 165 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lake Charles, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at T. H. Watkins Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at T. H. Watkins Elementary School is 11.8:1, which is 30% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 25% 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 T. H. Watkins Elementary School?
85.9% of students at T. H. Watkins Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of T. H. Watkins Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at T. H. Watkins Elementary School is African American at 89.1% of enrollment, in Lake Charles, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for T. H. Watkins Elementary School?
T. H. Watkins Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical 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 T. H. Watkins Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Lake Charles?
By Resource Investment Index, T. H. Watkins Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 elementary 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 elementary schools in Lake Charles on the city page.
Is T. H. Watkins Elementary School a good school?
T. H. Watkins Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% 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 T. H. Watkins 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.