DeSoto County Schools
Listed by NCES as Desoto Co School Dist (district ID 2801320)
Public school district · DeSoto County · Mississippi · NCES district ID 2801320
DeSoto County Schools spent $9,525 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, the least of the 112 Mississippi districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $12,203). Its 39 schools enrolled 34,934 students in 2024-25; 51.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $9,732 per student, up 2.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 94% (Mississippi: 89.4%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Mississippi's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, DeSoto County Schools ranks 10.
Where the money came from
$409,314,000 in revenue: 51.7% state, 34.4% local and 13.9% federal. Total spending including $62,495,000 of capital outlay was $399,146,000, or $11,403 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$211,817,000 52%
- Local$140,720,000 34%
- Federal$56,777,000 14%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 112 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25
35,003 students in 2022-23, 34,819 students in 2023-24, 34,934 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 35,003 | 2294.3 | 15.3 |
| 2023-24 | 34,819 | 2333.8 | 14.9 |
| 2024-25 | 34,934 | 2157.0 | 16.2 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$119,505,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,414 per student
DeSoto County Schools booked $119,505,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 2,368 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $50,476 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 41 in 100 Mississippi districts with a figure (state median $51,076, 146 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Mississippi teacher salary at $47,162 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $84,697,000 | 70.9% |
| Special education | $22,101,000 | 18.5% |
| Vocational | $3,377,000 | 2.8% |
| Other programs | $9,330,000 | 7.8% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $2,737 in 2018-19, $2,923 in 2019-20, $3,023 in 2020-21, $3,047 in 2021-22, $3,414 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in DeSoto County Schools scored proficient or above: 49% in reading and 61% in math, against 41.7% in reading and 47% in math across Mississippi. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Mississippi, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Mississippi | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 49% | 41.7% | 18,802 |
| Math | 61% | 47% | 18,343 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
94% of the 2,580 students in DeSoto County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 89.4% across Mississippi. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 94% | 89.4% |
| Students in the class | 2,580 | 31,998 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
23 elementary schools, 15,670 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Hill Elementary | 1,079 | 16.7 | 33.2% | Not Title I |
| Southaven Intermediate School | 1,046 | 16.1 | 59.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Horn Lake Intermediate School | 914 | 17.9 | 70.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Desoto Central Elementary School | 831 | 16.1 | 35.3% | Not Title I |
| Desoto Central Primary | 792 | 16.9 | 31.8% | Not Title I |
| Center Hill Elementary School | 788 | 16.9 | 34.5% | Eligible, no program |
| Hernando Hills Elementary | 770 | 16.0 | 29.4% | Not Title I |
| Oak Grove Central Elementary | 744 | 15.2 | 25.7% | Not Title I |
| Walls Elementary School | 722 | 15.1 | 60.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Hernando Elementary | 707 | 16.7 | 27.2% | Not Title I |
| Southaven Elementary | 681 | 16.2 | 70.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Overpark Elementary | 635 | 14.7 | 41.6% | Eligible, no program |
The other 11 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Cormorant Elementary | 635 | 17.2 | 55.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Lewisburg Intermediate | 606 | 15.2 | 15.3% | Not Title I |
| Lewisburg Elementary School | 604 | 16.3 | 19.2% | Not Title I |
| Lewisburg Primary | 578 | 17.7 | 19.4% | Not Title I |
| Hope Sullivan Elementary School | 563 | 16.3 | 63.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Greenbrook Elementary School | 556 | 15.2 | 56.1% | Eligible, no program |
| Horn Lake Elementary | 520 | 17.3 | 65.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Olive Branch Elementary | 504 | 16.8 | 50.8% | Eligible, no program |
| Chickasaw Elementary School | 500 | 15.2 | 53.8% | Eligible, no program |
| Olive Branch Intermediate School | 472 | 16.3 | 49.4% | Eligible, no program |
| Shadow Oaks Elementary School | 423 | 17.3 | 72.3% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
8 middle schools, 8,146 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southaven Middle School | 1,423 | 15.9 | 56.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Desoto Central Middle School | 1,388 | 17.5 | 32.3% | Not Title I |
| Hernando Middle School | 1,183 | 17.2 | 21.3% | Not Title I |
| Lewisburg Middle | 996 | 16.9 | 17.6% | Not Title I |
| Horn Lake Middle School | 948 | 14.7 | 63.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Center Hill Middle | 757 | 16.5 | 37.4% | Eligible, no program |
| Olive Branch Middle | 744 | 16.8 | 51.2% | Eligible, no program |
| Lake Cormorant Middle | 707 | 15.3 | 60.3% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
8 high schools, 11,118 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto Central High School | 2,004 | 17.8 | 25.2% | Not Title I |
| Southaven High School | 1,876 | 16.5 | 47.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Hernando High School | 1,529 | 17.1 | 18.3% | Not Title I |
| Lewisburg High School | 1,330 | 16.2 | 13.8% | Not Title I |
| Horn Lake High | 1,271 | 14.1 | 58.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Center Hill High School | 1,059 | 15.2 | 30.8% | Not Title I |
| Olive Branch High School | 1,058 | 13.9 | 42.3% | Eligible, no program |
| Lake Cormorant High | 991 | 15.4 | 52.1% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact DeSoto County Schools
- Website: desotocountyschools.org
- Phone: (662) 429-5271
- Office: 5 E South Street, Hernando, MS 38632
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about DeSoto County Schools
- Mississippi districts by spending per studentDeSoto County Schools ranks 112 of 112 Mississippi districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($9,525).#112 of 112
- Every school district in MississippiDeSoto County Schools is the largest of 152 Mississippi districts, with 35,003 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#1 of 152
- Rankin County School DistrictThe next smaller Mississippi district: 18,720 students in fall 2022, $11,323 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,323
- Compare DeSoto County Schools with Rankin County School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Desoto Central High School, its largest high school2,004 students in 2024-25, 17.8 per teacher.2,004
- Teacher salary spending across MississippiDeSoto County Schools spent $50,476 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $51,076); spending, not a salary.$50,476
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about DeSoto County Schools
How many schools and students are in DeSoto County Schools?
39 schools were open in 2024-25 (23 elementary, 8 middle, 8 high), enrolling 34,934 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does DeSoto County Schools spend per student?
$9,525 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Mississippi median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,203 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $9,732 per student, up 2.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does DeSoto County Schools' money come from?
$409,314,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 51.7% state, 34.4% local and 13.9% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in DeSoto County Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,506 of the 36,695 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 12.3%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does DeSoto County Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$119,505,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,414 per student. Divided by the 2,368 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $50,476 per teacher, more than 41 in 100 Mississippi districts (state median $51,076). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Mississippi teacher salary at $47,162 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in DeSoto County Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in DeSoto County Schools scored proficient or above: 49% in reading and 61% in math, against 41.7% in reading and 47% in math across Mississippi. Mississippi's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in DeSoto County Schools?
94% of the 2,580 students in DeSoto County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 89.4% across Mississippi. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is DeSoto County Schools' NCES district ID?
2801320. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25