An equity score of 43/100 ranks Joel E. Smillow Prep #95 of 146 districts in Mississippi (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,640 per pupil, Joel E. Smillow Prep ranks #100 of 148 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending (Mississippi districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
577
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$11,640
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Joel E. Smillow Prep operates 1 public schools serving 577 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 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 Hinds County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,640 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 148 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending. See how Mississippi compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 30.7% local, 40.6% state, and 28.7% 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 43/100, ranked #95 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.
and 24.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 98.8% African American, 0.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% White across the district's schools.
Its largest campus is Joel E. Smilow Prep, enrolling 521 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).
Joel E. Smilow Prep accounts for 90.3% of all Joel E. Smillow Prep student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Joel E. Smillow Prep a distant remainder — means Joel E. Smillow Prep-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: elementary. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Because it contains a majority of the affected population, enrollment-weighted aggregates will sit closer to this entity's reported fields than to those of smaller peers; an unweighted entity count answers a different question.
Joel E. Smillow Prep 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.
Joel E. Smillow Prep chronic absenteeism rate is 24.6% — 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 Joel E. Smillow Prep is typically wider than the Joel E. Smillow Prep-aggregate figure suggests.
Joel E. Smillow Prep has 1 school, including 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 577 students.
How much does Joel E. Smillow Prep spend per student?
Joel E. Smillow Prep spends $11,640 per student. The district has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #95 in Mississippi.
What is the demographic composition of Joel E. Smillow Prep?
Joel E. Smillow Prep students are 98.8% African American, 0.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% White, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Joel E. Smillow Prep?
Joel E. Smillow Prep has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #95 out of 146 districts in Mississippi.