Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi - 4 schools

An equity score of 67/100 ranks Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist #36 of 146 districts in Mississippi (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $16,298 per pupil, Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist ranks #15 of 148 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending (Mississippi districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,672
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$16,298
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist operates 4 public schools serving 1,672 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 high, 1 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Hancock County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,298 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 15 of 148 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending. See how Mississippi compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 38.7% local, 33.2% state, and 28.1% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 67/100, ranked #36 of 146 in Mississippi against a state average of 51, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 375.1:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 23.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 61.7% White, 23.2% African American, 7.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Waveland Elementary School, with a diversity index of 58.1/100.

Its largest campus is Bay High School, enrolling 491 students (30% of the district's total enrollment).

Bay High School accounts for 29.4% of all Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist reports 100.0% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is above 87.5%, so economic need is widespread across the measured student population. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist student-counselor ratio is 375:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist chronic absenteeism rate is 23.8% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist is typically wider than the Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

28.1%
Federal
33.2%
State
38.7%
Local

Funding Equity

67
Equity Score
36 / 146
State Rank
51
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist.

White 61.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%
African American 23.2%
Multiracial 7.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 55.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist's schools, above the Mississippi average of 41.1.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Waveland Elementary School 58.1
  2. 2 Bay Waveland Middle School 56.5
  3. 3 Bay High School 54.6
  4. 4 North Bay Elementary School 52.3

Programs & Resources

375.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
23.8%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist

School Enrollment
Bay High School
491
Waveland Elementary School
460
Bay Waveland Middle School
365
North Bay Elementary School
348

How Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Mississippi districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Tunica County School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Senatobia Municipal School Dist Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Walthall Co School Dist Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Newton County School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Lawrence Co School Dist Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Mississippi

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Desoto Co School Dist
35,003 students · 42 schools · $9,525/pupil
Compare vs Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist →
Rankin Co School Dist
18,720 students · 28 schools · $11,323/pupil
Compare vs Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist →
Harrison Co School Dist
14,355 students · 24 schools · $11,305/pupil
Compare vs Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist →
Madison Co School Dist
13,162 students · 23 schools · $12,248/pupil
Compare vs Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Desoto Co School Dist →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist?

Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist has 4 schools, including 1 high, 1 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,672 students.

How much does Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist spend per student?

Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist spends $16,298 per student. The district has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #36 in Mississippi.

What is the demographic composition of Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist?

Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist students are 61.7% White, 23.2% African American, 7.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist?

Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #36 out of 146 districts in Mississippi.