DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST operates 39 public schools serving 35,003 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 15 elementary, 8 high, 8 middle, 8 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 34,934 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in DeSoto County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $9,536 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 33.8% local, 51.9% state, and 14.3% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $52,851 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 11/100, ranked #146 of 146 in Mississippi against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 8 of 39 schools offering Advanced Placement (88 AP courses district-wide), a 540.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 41.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 42.1% African American, 39.4% White, 11.1% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST school enrollment varies 4.7× across entities
DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST school enrollment ranges from 423 students (lowest) to 2,004 students (highest), a spread of 1,581 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 51.4% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST student-counselor ratio is 540:1 — 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.
DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST chronic absenteeism rate is 41.8% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST has 39 schools, including 8 high, 8 middle, 8 other, 15 elementary. Total enrollment is 35,003 students.
How much does DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST spend per student?
DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST spends $9,536 per student. The district has an equity score of 11/100, ranking #146 in Mississippi.
What is the average teacher salary in DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST?
The average teacher salary in DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST is $52,851 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in DeSoto County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST?
DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST students are 42.1% African American, 39.4% White, 11.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% Asian, averaged across 39 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST?
DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST has an equity score of 11/100, ranking #146 out of 146 districts in Mississippi. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.