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Hernando, Mississippi - 39 schools
An equity score of 11/100 ranks Desoto Co School Dist #145 of 146 districts in Mississippi (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $8,778 per pupil, Desoto Co School Dist ranks #147 of 147 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending (Mississippi districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
35,003
Total Enrollment
39
Schools
$8,778
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
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 combined schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Desoto County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $8,778 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 15 of 147 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending. See how Mississippi compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 33.8% local, 51.9% state, and 14.3% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 11/100, ranked #145 of 146 in Mississippi against a state average of 51, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 8 of 39 schools offering Advanced Placement (88 AP courses district-wide), a 540.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, 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. Its most demographically mixed campus is Desoto Central Primary, with a diversity index of 69.4/100.
Its largest campus is Desoto Central High School, enrolling 2,004 students (6% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Shadow Oaks Elementary School, at 423 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
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 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
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 combined, 15 elementary. Total enrollment is 35,003 students.
How much does Desoto Co School Dist spend per student?
Desoto Co School Dist spends $8,778 per student. The district has an equity score of 11/100, ranking #145 in Mississippi.
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 #145 out of 146 districts in Mississippi.