Enrollment
343
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Westlake, LA
Western Heights Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Western Heights Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 220033000277
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Western Heights Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Louisiana schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Westlake · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.2:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 49.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Western Heights Elementary School has class sizes larger than 85% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Western Heights Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Westlake, LA.
School address
District: Calcasieu Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220033000277 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.6%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Western Heights Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Western Heights Elementary School
Western Heights Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Westlake, Louisiana, enrolling 343 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 49.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 343 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 235 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #112.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 343 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.8% 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.
Calcasieu Parish also operates Sulphur High School (1,911 students) and Alfred M. Barbe High School (1,908 students) alongside Western Heights 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 Western Heights Elementary School compares
Western Heights 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 | 20.2:1 | ▲ 20% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.6% | ▼ 21% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 343 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
343
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 85% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
3.8%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 343 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 75.2%
African American 15.5%
Two or More 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 75.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.7, Western Heights 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 Western Heights 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 Western Heights Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sulphur High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alfred M. Barbe High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sam Houston High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| S. J. Welsh Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Iowa High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Western Heights 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 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 (~343 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Western Heights Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Western Heights 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 Western Heights Elementary School
How many students attend Western Heights Elementary School?
Western Heights Elementary School has 343 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Westlake, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Western Heights Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Western Heights Elementary School is 20.2:1, which is 20% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Western Heights Elementary School?
49.6% of students at Western Heights Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Western Heights Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Western Heights Elementary School is White at 75.2% of enrollment, in Westlake, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Western Heights Elementary School?
Western Heights Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Western Heights Elementary School rank among public schools in Westlake?
By Resource Investment Index, Western Heights Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Westlake, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Westlake on the city page.
Is Western Heights Elementary School a good school?
Western Heights Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Western Heights 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.