Sunflower Cty Cons School District

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.

Indianola, Mississippi - 11 schools

An equity score of 67/100 ranks Sunflower Cty Cons School District #32 of 146 districts in Mississippi (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,004 per pupil, Sunflower Cty Cons School District ranks #36 of 147 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending (Mississippi districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,929
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$13,004
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Sunflower Cty Cons School District operates 11 public schools serving 2,929 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 3 combined, 2 high, 2 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Sunflower County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,004 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 147 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending. See how Mississippi compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 30.2% local, 40.8% state, and 29.0% 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 67/100, ranked #32 of 146 in Mississippi against a state average of 51, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 272.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 31.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 93.8% African American, 2.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.5% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Robert L Merritt Junior High School, with a diversity index of 16.5/100.

Its largest campus is Gentry High School, enrolling 465 students (17% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Rosser Early Learning Center, at 79 students, a 6x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Gentry High School accounts for 15.9% of all Sunflower Cty Cons School District student enrollment

That concentration means Sunflower Cty Cons 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.

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

Sunflower Cty Cons School District school enrollment varies 5.9× across entities

Sunflower Cty Cons School District school enrollment ranges from 79 students (lowest) to 465 students (highest), a spread of 386 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.

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

Sunflower Cty Cons School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 100.0% 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). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Sunflower Cty Cons School District student-counselor ratio is 273:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within Sunflower Cty Cons School District is typically wider than the Sunflower Cty Cons School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Sunflower Cty Cons School District chronic absenteeism rate is 31.8% — 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?

29.0%
Federal
40.8%
State
30.2%
Local

Funding Equity

67
Equity Score
32 / 146
State Rank
51
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 11 schools in Sunflower Cty Cons School District.

White 1.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
African American 93.8%
Multiracial 2.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 11.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Sunflower Cty Cons School District's schools, below the Mississippi average of 41.1.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Robert L Merritt Junior High School 16.5
  2. 2 Drew Hunter Middle School 15.9
  3. 3 Lockard Elementary School 15.8
  4. 4 Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School 15.5
  5. 5 Moorhead Central School 13.0

Programs & Resources

1 / 11
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
272.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
31.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Sunflower Cty Cons School District

School Enrollment
Gentry High School
465
Lockard Elementary School
393
Robert L Merritt Junior High School
341
Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School
331
Ruleville Central Elem School
271
Carver Elementary School
250
Moorhead Central School
245
A W James Elementary School
219
Ruleville Middle School
131
Drew Hunter Middle School
82
Rosser Early Learning Center
79

How Sunflower Cty Cons School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Mississippi districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Long Beach School Dist Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Wayne Co School Dist Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Tishomingo Co Sp Mun Sch Dist Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Union Co School Dist Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Lafayette Co School Dist Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Sunflower Cty Cons School District

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 Sunflower Cty Cons School District?

Sunflower Cty Cons School District has 11 schools, including 2 high, 4 elementary, 3 combined, 2 middle. Total enrollment is 2,929 students.

How much does Sunflower Cty Cons School District spend per student?

Sunflower Cty Cons School District spends $13,004 per student. The district has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #32 in Mississippi.

What is the demographic composition of Sunflower Cty Cons School District?

Sunflower Cty Cons School District students are 93.8% African American, 2.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.5% White, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Sunflower Cty Cons School District?

Sunflower Cty Cons School District has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #32 out of 146 districts in Mississippi.