Harrison Co 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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Gulfport, Mississippi - 22 schools

An equity score of 21/100 ranks Harrison Co School Dist #140 of 146 districts in Mississippi (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $10,042 per pupil, Harrison Co School Dist ranks #119 of 147 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending (Mississippi districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

14,355
Total Enrollment
22
Schools
$10,042
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Harrison Co School Dist operates 22 public schools serving 14,355 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 17 elementary, 4 high, 1 middle 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 Harrison County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,042 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 147 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending. See how Mississippi compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 36.5% local, 45.3% state, and 18.2% 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 21/100, ranked #140 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 3 of 22 schools offering Advanced Placement (12 AP courses district-wide), a 572.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 25.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 46.8% White, 35.4% African American, 10.7% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Diberville Middle School, with a diversity index of 73.8/100.

Its largest campus is Harrison Central High School, enrolling 1,483 students (10% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Harrison Co Child Development Cen, at 77 students, a 19x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Harrison Co School Dist school enrollment varies 19× across entities

Harrison Co School Dist school enrollment ranges from 77 students (lowest) to 1,483 students (highest), a spread of 1,406 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Harrison Co School Dist has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 72.7% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Harrison Co School Dist student-counselor ratio is 572:1 — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Harrison Co School Dist chronic absenteeism rate is 25.6% — 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 Harrison Co School Dist is typically wider than the Harrison Co School Dist-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

18.2%
Federal
45.3%
State
36.5%
Local

Funding Equity

21
Equity Score
140 / 146
State Rank
51
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 22 schools in Harrison Co School Dist.

White 46.8%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
African American 35.4%
Asian 2.3%
Multiracial 4.1%
Other 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 54.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Harrison Co School Dist's schools, above the Mississippi average of 41.1.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Diberville Middle School 73.8
  2. 2 Diberville Elem 73.2
  3. 3 Harrison Central Elementary 67.0
  4. 4 Orange Grove Elementary 66.6
  5. 5 Woolmarket Elementary School 65.8

Programs & Resources

3 / 22
Schools with AP
12 AP courses total
572.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
25.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Harrison Co School Dist

School Enrollment
Harrison Central High School
1,483
Diberville Senior High Sch
1,478
West Harrison High School
1,216
Creekbend Elementary and Middle
996
North Gulfport Elementary and Middl
921
North Woolmarket Elementary and Mid
851
West Wortham Elementary and Middle
844
West Harrison Middle School
650
Bel Aire Elementary School
598
Crossroads Elementary School
547
Woolmarket Elementary School
533
Lyman Elementary School
524
Diberville Middle School
503
Three Rivers Elementary
492
River Oaks Elementary School
487
Harrison Central Elementary
465
Lizana Elementary School
393
Diberville Elem
367
Orange Grove Elementary
346
Saucier Elementary School
325
Pineville Elementary School
157
Harrison Co Child Development Cen
77

How Harrison Co School Dist Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Mississippi districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Madison Co School Dist Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Lamar County School District Smaller Similar spending Similar funding mix
Jackson Public School District Larger Higher spending Similar funding mix
Rankin Co School Dist Larger Similar spending Similar funding mix
Jackson Co School Dist Smaller Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Harrison Co 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 · $8,778/pupil
Compare vs Harrison Co School Dist →
Rankin Co School Dist
18,720 students · 28 schools · $10,533/pupil
Compare vs Harrison Co School Dist →
Jackson Public School District
18,710 students · 54 schools · $12,155/pupil
Compare vs Harrison Co School Dist →
Madison Co School Dist
13,162 students · 23 schools · $11,127/pupil
Compare vs Harrison Co School Dist →
Lamar County School District
10,276 students · 17 schools · $10,063/pupil
Compare vs Harrison Co School Dist →

Compare Harrison Co 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 Harrison Co School Dist?

Harrison Co School Dist has 22 schools, including 4 high, 17 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 14,355 students.

How much does Harrison Co School Dist spend per student?

Harrison Co School Dist spends $10,042 per student. The district has an equity score of 21/100, ranking #140 in Mississippi.

What is the demographic composition of Harrison Co School Dist?

Harrison Co School Dist students are 46.8% White, 35.4% African American, 10.7% Hispanic or Latino, 2.3% Asian, averaged across 22 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Harrison Co School Dist?

Harrison Co School Dist has an equity score of 21/100, ranking #140 out of 146 districts in Mississippi.