SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT operates 6 public schools serving 4,313 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other, 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 4,220 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Panola County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,628 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 26.4% local, 48.5% state, and 25.1% 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 $59,820 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 45/100, ranked #81 of 146 in Mississippi against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 491.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 45.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 53.6% African American, 38.8% White, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
South Panola High School accounts for 26.4% of all SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT-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.
SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT school enrollment varies 2.3× across entities
SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT school enrollment ranges from 474 students (lowest) to 1,113 students (highest), a spread of 639 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.
SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 78.0% 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 — including this one — 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.
SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT student-counselor ratio is 492:1 — 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.
SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT chronic absenteeism rate is 45.2% — 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.
How many schools are in SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT?
SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 2 other, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 4,313 students.
How much does SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT spend per student?
SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT spends $11,628 per student. The district has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #81 in Mississippi.
What is the average teacher salary in SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The average teacher salary in SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT is $59,820 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Panola County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT?
SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT students are 53.6% African American, 38.8% White, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT?
SOUTH PANOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #81 out of 146 districts in Mississippi. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.