Summary:
The four public schools in zip code 70611, serving the Moss Bluff and Gillis areas of Lake Charles, Louisiana, are part of the highly-rated Calcasieu Parish school district and provide a strong educational pipeline from Pre-K through 12th grade for approximately 3,541 students.
Sam Houston High School is the clear academic powerhouse in the area, ranking in the top 12% of all high schools in Louisiana with exceptional test scores that are 15-20 percentage points above state averages in core subjects like Algebra I and English II. It also boasts a stellar 94.8% graduation rate and a very low 1.4% dropout rate. However, the middle and elementary schools show a mixed picture. Moss Bluff Middle School performs very well, particularly in math, but Moss Bluff Elementary School experienced a notable 11-percentile-point drop in its state ranking, falling from a 5-star to a 4-star rating. In contrast, Gillis Elementary School achieves strong math and ELA results nearly matching its more affluent neighbor, despite having the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged students in the area.
A key takeaway is the sharp divide in chronic absenteeism: elementary schools have excellent attendance rates around 13-15%, but this worsens significantly at the middle school and becomes a major problem at the high school, where the rate of 26.7% exceeds both district and state averages. Additionally, Social Studies is a universal challenge across all grade levels, representing the biggest opportunity for academic improvement throughout the entire zip code. Overall, the area offers a top-tier high school and solid elementary options, though families should be aware of the attendance trends and the recent performance dip at Moss Bluff Elementary.
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