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Dolby Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5
194th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 690 Louisiana Elementary Schools
Better than 72% of Louisiana elementary schools
Summary

Dolby Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Lake Charles, LA, serving 360 students from Pre-K through 5th grade as part of the Calcasieu Parish school district, and it has earned a reliable 4-star rating from the state for eight consecutive years.

What truly sets Dolby apart is its consistent, above-average performance in a local market where nearby schools vary dramatically. While elite schools like Prien Lake Elementary and T. S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School achieve near-perfect scores and struggling schools like Barbe Elementary and Fairview Elementary face significant challenges, Dolby remains a steady, strong choice. It is a standout in Social Studies, with 70% of students proficient—far exceeding the state average of 55% and outperforming every nearby school for which data is available. Its English Language Arts proficiency rate of 81% is also well above the state average. Furthermore, Dolby’s chronic absenteeism rate of 20.2% is remarkably low compared to nearby schools like Brentwood Elementary (38.2%) and College Oaks Elementary (34.4%), suggesting a positive and engaged school culture.

However, parents should be aware that math proficiency has declined from 79% to 67% over the past few years, with only 53% of 5th graders meeting benchmarks. On the positive side, the school is particularly effective for certain student groups, with Special Education Students ranking in the 74th percentile statewide—a strong indicator of effective support systems. Dolby serves a diverse student body, with about 61% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, yet it achieves results that rival schools with far fewer economic challenges. This makes it a reliable "safe bet" for families seeking a quality education without the competitive entry requirements of magnet programs.

360
Students ?
11.5
Student/teacher ratio ?
$17,748
Per pupil spending ?
61.4%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 817 Jefferson Drive
       Lake Charles, LA  70605

(337) 217-4730

District: Calcasieu Parish


Students who attend Dolby Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    F. K. White Middle School
Racial breakdown:

African American:
47.2%
White:
40.6%
Hispanic:
5.8%
more
 See top rated Louisiana elementary schools

 Compare Dolby Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 84th percentile in 2023 → 72nd in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Louisiana average (73% vs 62% meeting standards)
✓Above the Louisiana median (72nd percentile)
✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped from its 84th-percentile peak (2023) to 72nd (2026)
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school73%
District avg68%
Louisiana avg62%
194th of 690
Louisiana public elementary schools ?
Top 28%▲ up 19 pts since 2016
From top 47% (2016) to top 28% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Louisiana Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
14th of 29Elementary Schools in the Calcasieu Parish
31st of 116Calcasieu Parish among Louisiana districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202674.1194 of 69071.9%★★★★☆
202574.1176 of 66673.6%★★★★☆
202472.6194 of 67571.3%★★★★☆
202382.3116 of 73084.1%★★★★☆
202273.4194 of 72773.3%★★★★☆
202179.9137 of 72981.2%★★★★☆
201977.7167 of 73177.2%★★★★☆
201861.0242 of 72866.8%★★★☆☆
201764.9293 of 73960.4%★★★☆☆
201658.4347 of 74253.2%★★★☆☆
201568.5251 of 79268.3%★★★☆☆
201465.8282 of 77763.7%★★★☆☆
201374.1178 of 77276.9%★★★★☆
201277.9151 of 76480.2%★★★★☆
201178.7153 of 76680.0%★★★★☆
201083.789 of 73687.9%★★★★☆
200980.7125 of 73883.1%★★★★☆
200883.092 of 74387.6%★★★★☆
200789.341 of 72594.3%★★★★★

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202669.3132 of 54875.9%★★★★☆
202567.8140 of 50172.1%★★★★☆
202460.3178 of 50965.0%★★★☆☆
202369.6138 of 57075.8%★★★★☆
202260.1184 of 56267.3%★★★☆☆
202173.8107 of 56481.0%★★★★☆
201984.261 of 55989.1%★★★★☆
201865.4159 of 54770.9%★★★★☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
201857.4108 of 28161.6%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202684.185 of 67987.5%★★★★☆
202569.4198 of 63368.7%★★★☆☆
202468.1221 of 63565.2%★★★☆☆
202379.5113 of 70584.0%★★★★☆
202268.7215 of 70169.3%★★★☆☆
202180.4119 of 70583.1%★★★★☆
201980.7115 of 68483.2%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202667.7215 of 68568.6%★★★☆☆
202560.7269 of 66159.3%★★★☆☆
202463.2255 of 67462.2%★★★☆☆
202376.8132 of 72381.7%★★★★☆
202259.6283 of 72460.9%★★★☆☆
202181.993 of 71987.1%★★★★☆
201978.2116 of 69783.4%★★★★☆
201866.2231 of 68266.1%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202667.7237 of 68265.2%★★★☆☆
202566.6227 of 64164.6%★★★☆☆
202475.2162 of 65175.1%★★★★☆
202381.4104 of 71385.4%★★★★☆
202270.4210 of 71270.5%★★★★☆
202173.5174 of 70475.3%★★★★☆
201969.7229 of 69667.1%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202669.093 of 36174.2%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202666.0169 of 49665.9%★★★☆☆
202551.0245 of 43143.2%★★☆☆☆
202474.899 of 43477.2%★★★★☆
202380.775 of 51885.5%★★★★☆
202262.6197 of 51761.9%★★★☆☆
202165.7166 of 52268.2%★★★☆☆
201968.9144 of 51772.1%★★★★☆
201863.9196 of 51662.0%★★★☆☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Female (2026)87th percentile+16 vs school
African American (2026)76th percentile+4 vs school
Special Education (2026)74th percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)69th percentile-3 vs school
White (2026)66th percentile-6 vs school
Male (2026)65th percentile-7 vs school
Disabled (2018)62nd percentile-5 vs school
By subject vs Louisiana (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts81%+11 vs state
Social Studies70%+15 vs state
Mathematics67%+5 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about Dolby Elementary School

Dolby Elementary School ranks 194th of 690 Louisiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2024-25 school year, 360 students attended Dolby Elementary School.

Students at Dolby Elementary School are 47% African American, 41% White, 6% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

Students who attend Dolby Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : F. K. White Middle School


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Schools in Lake Charles, LA

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Louisiana Dept of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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