PETAL SCHOOL DIST operates 5 public schools serving 4,392 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 other, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 4,253 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Forrest County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,400 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 30.0% local, 51.0% state, and 19.0% 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 $58,818 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 25/100, ranked #138 of 146 in Mississippi against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (14 AP courses district-wide), a 674.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 14.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 68.7% White, 17.7% African American, 8.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Petal High School accounts for 31.1% of all PETAL SCHOOL DIST student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means PETAL SCHOOL DIST-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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.
PETAL SCHOOL DIST school enrollment varies 2.1× across entities
PETAL SCHOOL DIST school enrollment ranges from 632 students (lowest) to 1,324 students (highest), a spread of 692 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.
PETAL SCHOOL DIST has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 59.0% 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.
PETAL SCHOOL DIST student-counselor ratio is 674:1 — 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.
PETAL SCHOOL DIST chronic absenteeism rate is 14.5% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
PETAL SCHOOL DIST has 5 schools, including 1 high, 1 other, 1 middle, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 4,392 students.
How much does PETAL SCHOOL DIST spend per student?
PETAL SCHOOL DIST spends $10,400 per student. The district has an equity score of 25/100, ranking #138 in Mississippi.
What is the average teacher salary in PETAL SCHOOL DIST?
The average teacher salary in PETAL SCHOOL DIST is $58,818 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near PETAL SCHOOL DIST?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Forrest County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of PETAL SCHOOL DIST?
PETAL SCHOOL DIST students are 68.7% White, 17.7% African American, 8.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for PETAL SCHOOL DIST?
PETAL SCHOOL DIST has an equity score of 25/100, ranking #138 out of 146 districts in Mississippi. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.