Poplarville Separate 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.

Poplarville, Mississippi - 4 schools

An equity score of 29/100 ranks Poplarville Separate School Dist #128 of 146 districts in Mississippi (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $10,227 per pupil, Poplarville Separate School Dist ranks #110 of 147 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending (Mississippi districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,909
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$10,227
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Poplarville Separate School Dist operates 4 public schools serving 1,909 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 high, 1 combined, 1 middle, 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 Pearl River County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,227 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 28.9% local, 45.8% state, and 25.3% 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 29/100, ranked #128 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.

a 360:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 31.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.1% White, 8.2% African American, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Poplarville Jr Sr High School, with a diversity index of 40.3/100.

Its largest campus is Poplarville Jr Sr High School, enrolling 540 students (27% of the district's total enrollment).

Poplarville Jr Sr High School accounts for 27.4% of all Poplarville Separate School Dist student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Poplarville Separate 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.

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

Poplarville Separate School Dist has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 63.4% 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). 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

Poplarville Separate School Dist student-counselor ratio is 360:1 — 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.

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

Poplarville Separate School Dist chronic absenteeism rate is 31.6% — 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

25.3%
Federal
45.8%
State
28.9%
Local

Funding Equity

29
Equity Score
128 / 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 4 schools in Poplarville Separate School Dist.

White 81.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
African American 8.2%
Multiracial 8.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 32.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Poplarville Separate School Dist's schools, below the Mississippi average of 41.1.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Poplarville Jr Sr High School 40.3
  2. 2 Poplarville Lower Elementary School 32.6
  3. 3 Middle School of Poplarville 30.7
  4. 4 Poplarville Upper Elementary Sch 26.5

Programs & Resources

360:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
31.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Poplarville Separate School Dist

School Enrollment
Poplarville Jr Sr High School
540
Poplarville Lower Elementary School
521
Middle School of Poplarville
476
Poplarville Upper Elementary Sch
432

How Poplarville Separate School Dist Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Mississippi districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Marion Co School Dist Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Pass Christian Public School Dist Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Tate Co School Dist Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Yazoo City Municipal School Dist Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Webster Co School Dist Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Poplarville Separate 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 Poplarville Separate School Dist →
Rankin Co School Dist
18,720 students · 28 schools · $10,533/pupil
Compare vs Poplarville Separate School Dist →
Harrison Co School Dist
14,355 students · 24 schools · $10,042/pupil
Compare vs Poplarville Separate School Dist →
Madison Co School Dist
13,162 students · 23 schools · $11,127/pupil
Compare vs Poplarville Separate School Dist →

Compare Poplarville Separate 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 Poplarville Separate School Dist?

Poplarville Separate School Dist has 4 schools, including 1 high, 1 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,909 students.

How much does Poplarville Separate School Dist spend per student?

Poplarville Separate School Dist spends $10,227 per student. The district has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #128 in Mississippi.

What is the demographic composition of Poplarville Separate School Dist?

Poplarville Separate School Dist students are 81.1% White, 8.2% African American, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Poplarville Separate School Dist?

Poplarville Separate School Dist has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #128 out of 146 districts in Mississippi.