Summary:
Zip code 70601 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is home to two middle schools—Oak Park Middle School and Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School—both part of the Calcasieu Parish school district, serving grades 6-8 in a community where economic challenges are reflected in high free/reduced lunch rates.
Oak Park Middle School stands out as the stronger performer overall, with a state ranking that jumped from the 13th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 35th percentile in 2025-2026, earning a 2-star rating. It outperforms Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School in nearly every academic area, including a 48% math proficiency rate versus 37%, and a 51% social studies proficiency rate versus 37%. Oak Park also has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (28.1% compared to Molo’s 39.3%), which is a key factor in its academic edge. In contrast, Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School has remained stagnant in the 21st-27th percentile range with a 1-star rating, despite being a magnet school. However, Molo shows a notable strength in advanced coursework, with its English I End-of-Course exam achieving a 93% proficiency rate, nearly matching Oak Park’s 94% and far exceeding district and state averages.
Both schools face significant challenges, particularly with chronic absenteeism rates well above the district average of 20.9% and the state average of 22.5%. A critical finding is the "8th grade cliff," where math proficiency drops sharply from 7th to 8th grade—at Oak Park from 58% to 30%, and at Molo from 55% to 22%—suggesting a systemic curriculum issue. The high poverty levels, with 82.99% of Oak Park students and 90.57% of Molo students receiving free/reduced lunch, underscore the socioeconomic hurdles these schools navigate. For parents, Oak Park offers a clear upward trajectory and stronger overall academics, while Molo provides a specialized magnet program that excels with its advanced students, though both schools would benefit greatly from improved attendance and targeted support for 8th-grade transitions.
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