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A. A. Nelson Elementary School

Q: Is A. A. Nelson Elementary School a good school?

A. A. Nelson Elementary School ranks 133 rd of 690 Louisiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

133^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 690 Louisiana Elementary Schools

Better than 81% of Louisiana elementary schools

Summary

A. A. Nelson Elementary School in Lake Charles, LA, is a large, high-performing public school serving 736 students in grades PK-5 within the Calcasieu Parish school district, a district ranked in the top 27% of Louisiana.

What truly sets A. A. Nelson apart is its remarkable ability to achieve strong academic results while serving a diverse student body. The school ranks in the 96th percentile statewide for its effectiveness with English Language Learners, a standout achievement compared to nearby schools like Barbe Elementary and College Oaks Elementary, which do not show similar success with this group. Additionally, its chronic absenteeism rate of just 11.0% is dramatically lower than the district average of 20.9% and far below peers like Barbe (36.9%) and Brentwood Elementary (38.2%). This combination of high attendance and strong support for all learners—including low-SES students, where it ranks in the 84th percentile—shows a school that creates a stable, effective learning environment for every child.

While A. A. Nelson is not a magnet school like the elite T. S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School, it achieves academic proficiency rates (80% in Math and ELA) that rival top schools in the area. It sits in a "sweet spot" among its neighbors: outperforming schools with higher poverty rates like Dolby Elementary and St. John Elementary, while also maintaining a moderate poverty rate of 56.66%. This makes it a stable, high-quality option for families seeking a school that delivers excellence without selective admissions, proving that a diverse public school can truly thrive.

736

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,736

Per pupil spending ?

56.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1001 Country Club Road
Lake Charles, LA 70605

(337) 217-4790

District: Calcasieu Parish

Students who attend A. A. Nelson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	S. J. Welsh Middle School
High:	Alfred M. Barbe High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.3%

African American:

34.0%

Asian:

13.3%

See top rated Louisiana elementary schools

Compare A. A. Nelson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 96th percentile in 2022 → 81st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Louisiana average (76% vs 62% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 19% of Louisiana elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Calcasieu Parish

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 96th-percentile peak (2022) to 81st (2026)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school76%

District avg68%

Louisiana avg62%

133^rd of 690

Louisiana public elementary schools ?

Top 19%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to top 19% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Louisiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 29Elementary Schools in the Calcasieu Parish

31^st 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	80.1	133 of 690	80.7%	★★★★☆
2025	87.8	74 of 666	88.9%	★★★★☆
2024	85.0	94 of 675	86.1%	★★★★☆
2023	90.4	57 of 730	92.2%	★★★★★
2022	92.8	32 of 727	95.6%	★★★★★
2021	76.2	159 of 729	78.2%	★★★★☆
2019	80.8	133 of 731	81.8%	★★★★☆
2018	69.7	161 of 728	77.9%	★★★★☆
2017	66.6	275 of 739	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	73.1	214 of 742	71.2%	★★★★☆
2015	85.1	78 of 792	90.2%	★★★★★
2014	80.2	123 of 777	84.2%	★★★★☆
2013	76.6	154 of 772	80.1%	★★★★☆
2012	84.7	83 of 764	89.1%	★★★★☆
2011	81.3	126 of 766	83.6%	★★★★☆
2010	85.0	75 of 736	89.8%	★★★★☆
2009	82.1	114 of 738	84.6%	★★★★☆
2008	72.6	200 of 743	73.1%	★★★★☆
2007	75.0	179 of 725	75.3%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	78.5	90 of 548	83.6%	★★★★☆
2025	85.6	52 of 501	89.6%	★★★★☆
2024	83.5	60 of 509	88.2%	★★★★☆
2023	94.7	22 of 570	96.1%	★★★★★
2022	95.6	22 of 562	96.1%	★★★★★
2021	74.9	101 of 564	82.1%	★★★★☆
2019	68.3	149 of 559	73.3%	★★★★☆
2018	72.2	112 of 547	79.5%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	33.5	10 of 15	33.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.5	2 of 8	75.0%	★★★★☆
2024	44.8	5 of 6	16.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.5	6 of 14	57.1%	★★★★☆
2022	61.4	4 of 13	69.2%	★★★★☆
2021	45.5	6 of 13	53.8%	★★★★☆
2019	49.6	8 of 16	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.8	4 of 12	66.7%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2018	62.4	91 of 281	67.6%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	88.7	5 of 115	95.7%	★★★★★
2022	85.0	5 of 90	94.4%	★★★★★
2019	95.7	2 of 91	97.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	80.5	120 of 679	82.3%	★★★★☆
2025	90.4	39 of 633	93.8%	★★★★★
2024	84.3	81 of 635	87.2%	★★★★☆
2023	86.0	71 of 705	89.9%	★★★★★
2022	89.9	44 of 701	93.7%	★★★★★
2021	77.6	140 of 705	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	81.2	111 of 684	83.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	81.0	38 of 266	85.7%	★★★★☆
2022	90.7	13 of 220	94.1%	★★★★★
2021	49.0	110 of 202	45.5%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2021	86.5	3 of 19	84.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	78.6	107 of 685	84.4%	★★★★☆
2025	87.8	52 of 661	92.1%	★★★★★
2024	86.3	68 of 674	89.9%	★★★★★
2023	89.3	48 of 723	93.4%	★★★★★
2022	93.9	22 of 724	97.0%	★★★★★
2021	74.6	154 of 719	78.6%	★★★★☆
2019	72.7	178 of 697	74.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.1	122 of 682	82.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	77.3	152 of 682	77.7%	★★★★☆
2025	81.7	95 of 641	85.2%	★★★★☆
2024	84.8	88 of 651	86.5%	★★★★☆
2023	90.1	45 of 713	93.7%	★★★★★
2022	91.8	36 of 712	94.9%	★★★★★
2021	73.4	177 of 704	74.9%	★★★★☆
2019	76.2	170 of 696	75.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	68.9	94 of 361	74.0%	★★★★☆
2025	78.2	41 of 241	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	83.1	19 of 208	90.9%	★★★★★
2023	87.6	23 of 296	92.2%	★★★★★
2022	94.5	4 of 307	98.7%	★★★★★
2021	71.6	67 of 306	78.1%	★★★★☆
2019	68.6	76 of 333	77.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	122 of 496	75.4%	★★★★☆
2024	80.1	66 of 434	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	83.3	62 of 518	88.0%	★★★★☆
2022	84.8	49 of 517	90.5%	★★★★★
2021	69.3	146 of 522	72.0%	★★★★☆
2019	77.1	86 of 517	83.4%	★★★★☆
2018	77.1	97 of 516	81.2%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)96th percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2026)86th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)84th percentile+4 vs school

Homeless (2021)84th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2026)84th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)82nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)78th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)75th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)74th percentile-7 vs school

Disabled (2018)68th percentile-10 vs school

Asian (2026)33rd percentile-47 vs school

By subject vs Louisiana (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics80%+18 vs state

English Language Arts80%+10 vs state

Social Studies67%+12 vs state

★

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Schools Near A. A. Nelson Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				LEAP Mathematics (2026)				LEAP English Language Arts (2026)				LEAP Social Studies (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	LEAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	LEAP Mathematics 4th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 5th Grade	LEAP Mathematics All Grades	LEAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts All Grades	LEAP Social Studies 3rd Grade	LEAP Social Studies 4th Grade	LEAP Social Studies 5th Grade	LEAP Social Studies All Grades	Total
A. A. Nelson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1001 Country Club Road	Lake Charles	70605	Calcasieu Parish	Calcasieu Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 217-4790	736	48	15.1	56.7%	304 (41.3%)	250 (34.0%)	50 (6.8%)	98 (13.3%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.1%)	80.1	133^rd of 690 public elementary schools	80.7%		87.8	74^th of 666 public elementary schools	88.9%	59	82.0	81.0	77.0	80.0	74.0	80.0		80.0	72.0	62.0	70.0	67.0	$14,736
Dolby Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	817 Jefferson Drive	Lake Charles	70605	Calcasieu Parish	Calcasieu Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 217-4730	360	31	11.5	61.4%	146 (40.6%)	170 (47.2%)	21 (5.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.8%)	74.1	194^th of 690 public elementary schools	71.9%		74.1	176^th of 666 public elementary schools	73.6%	18	77.0	67.0	53.0	67.0	81.0	83.0		81.0	75.0	69.0	65.0	70.0	$17,748
M. J. Kaufman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Tekel Road	Lake Charles	70607	Calcasieu Parish	Calcasieu Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 217-4740	308	31	10.0	82.1%	118 (38.3%)	133 (43.2%)	25 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	29 (9.4%)	62.5	280^th of 690 public elementary schools	59.4%		71.2	208^th of 666 public elementary schools	68.8%	72	50.0	78.0	71.0	64.0	72.0	77.0		76.0	46.0	65.0	59.0	56.0	$18,371
Prien Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3741 Nelson Road	Lake Charles	70605	Calcasieu Parish	Calcasieu Parish	No	No	No	No	(337) 217-4910	639	50	12.8	41.2%	370 (57.9%)	164 (25.7%)	45 (7.0%)	25 (3.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.3%)	96.1	16^th of 690 public elementary schools	97.7%		95.3	16^th of 666 public elementary schools	97.6%		99.0	92.0			89.0			93.0	81.0	89.0	92.0	87.0	$14,773
College Oaks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3618 Ernest Street	Lake Charles	70605	Calcasieu Parish	Calcasieu Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 217-4560	278	27	10.3	82.0%	51 (18.3%)	202 (72.7%)	17 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	39.9	440^th of 690 public elementary schools	36.2%		37.6	435^th of 666 public elementary schools	34.7%	5	66.0	42.0	41.0	50.0	63.0	67.0	70.0	67.0	58.0	36.0	38.0	44.0	$21,783
St. John Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5566 Elliott Road	Lake Charles	70605	Calcasieu Parish	Calcasieu Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 217-4870	670	52	12.9	65.7%	358 (53.4%)	207 (30.9%)	54 (8.1%)	20 (3.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (4.2%)	78.2	149^th of 690 public elementary schools	78.4%		70.3	216^th of 666 public elementary schools	67.6%	67		65.0	81.0	72.0	82.0	80.0		83.0	71.0	63.0	75.0	70.0	$15,355
Henry Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3600 Louisiana Avenue	Lake Charles	70607	Calcasieu Parish	Calcasieu Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 217-4620	315	33	9.4	79.7%	44 (14.0%)	238 (75.6%)	14 (4.4%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	25.9	549^th of 690 public elementary schools	20.4%		29.7	498^th of 666 public elementary schools	25.2%	51	66.0	37.0	31.0	45.0	73.0	56.0	54.0	61.0	29.0	33.0	27.0	29.0	$21,468
Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	1700 East McNeese Street	Lake Charles	70607	Calcasieu Parish	Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(337) 475-7910	852	57	15.0	82.9%	41 (4.8%)	588 (69.0%)	185 (21.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	33 (3.9%)								(n/a)													$13,719
Brentwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3825 Brentwood Avenue	Lake Charles	70607	Calcasieu Parish	Calcasieu Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(337) 217-4610	272	26	10.3	93.0%	6 (2.2%)	252 (92.6%)	6 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	45.4	396^th of 690 public elementary schools	42.6%		49.1	361^st of 666 public elementary schools	45.8%	35	58.0		41.0	57.0	70.0	68.0	81.0	74.0	42.0	46.0	44.0	44.0	$19,296
T. S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School	Public, Magnet	K-5	2711 Common Street	Lake Charles	70601	Calcasieu Parish	Calcasieu Parish	No	Yes	No	No	(337) 217-4680	300	16	18.7	15.0%	201 (67.0%)	42 (14.0%)	16 (5.3%)	22 (7.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.0%)								(n/a)						100.0		100.0	100.0			100.0	$14,387

Frequently Asked Questions about A. A. Nelson Elementary School

How many students attend A. A. Nelson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 736 students attended A. A. Nelson Elementary School.

Is A. A. Nelson Elementary School a good school?

A. A. Nelson Elementary School ranks 133^rd of 690 Louisiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is A. A. Nelson Elementary School in?

Calcasieu Parish

What schools do graduates of A. A. Nelson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend A. A. Nelson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : S. J. Welsh Middle School
High : Alfred M. Barbe High School

What is the racial makeup of A. A. Nelson Elementary School?

Students at A. A. Nelson Elementary School are 41% White, 34% African American, 13% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

Rate A. A. Nelson Elementary School!

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Latest Louisiana data All new data »

2025–26 LEAP test scoresJul 6, 2026

2023–24 dropout ratesFeb 24, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataDec 1, 2025

2023–24 through 2024–25 graduation ratesNov 22, 2025

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.