LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST operates 8 public schools serving 5,261 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 other, 2 high, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 5,261 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Lowndes County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,562 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 44.4% local, 39.5% state, and 16.2% 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 $63,156 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 33/100, ranked #123 of 146 in Mississippi against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), a 442.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 25.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 46.9% White, 46.7% African American, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
New Hope Elementary School accounts for 22.6% of all LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST school enrollment varies 5.8× across entities
LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST school enrollment ranges from 206 students (lowest) to 1,191 students (highest), a spread of 985 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.
LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 66.1% 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.
LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST student-counselor ratio is 442:1 — 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.
LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST chronic absenteeism rate is 25.4% — 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 LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST is typically wider than the LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST-aggregate figure suggests.
LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST has 8 schools, including 4 other, 2 high, 2 middle. Total enrollment is 5,261 students.
How much does LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST spend per student?
LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST spends $11,562 per student. The district has an equity score of 33/100, ranking #123 in Mississippi.
What is the average teacher salary in LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST?
The average teacher salary in LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST is $63,156 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Lowndes County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST?
LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST students are 46.9% White, 46.7% African American, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST?
LOWNDES CO SCHOOL DIST has an equity score of 33/100, ranking #123 out of 146 districts in Mississippi. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.