TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST operates 12 public schools serving 7,132 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 7,192 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Lee County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,039 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 42.5% local, 38.9% state, and 18.6% 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 $64,573 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 48/100, ranked #74 of 146 in Mississippi against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 12 schools offering Advanced Placement (22 AP courses district-wide), a 410.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 32.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 53.0% African American, 29.9% White, 9.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Tupelo High School accounts for 29.5% of all TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means TUPELO PUBLIC 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.
TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST school enrollment varies 6.8× across entities
TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST school enrollment ranges from 312 students (lowest) to 2,123 students (highest), a spread of 1,811 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.
TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 66.7% 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.
TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST student-counselor ratio is 411:1 — 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.
TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST chronic absenteeism rate is 32.7% — 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 TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST?
TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST has 12 schools, including 1 high, 2 middle, 8 elementary, 1 other. Total enrollment is 7,132 students.
How much does TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST spend per student?
TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST spends $13,039 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #74 in Mississippi.
What is the average teacher salary in TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST?
The average teacher salary in TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST is $64,573 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Lee County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST?
TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST students are 53.0% African American, 29.9% White, 9.6% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST?
TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #74 out of 146 districts in Mississippi. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.