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Water Valley, Mississippi - 2 schools
An equity score of 44/100 ranks Water Valley School District #90 of 146 districts in Mississippi (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $9,966 per pupil, Water Valley School District ranks #125 of 147 Mississippi districts by per-pupil spending (Mississippi districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,041
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$9,966
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Water Valley School District operates 2 public schools serving 1,041 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined 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 Yalobusha County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $9,966 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 22.7% local, 50.3% state, and 27.1% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 44/100, ranked #90 of 146 in Mississippi against a state average of 51, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 348.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 26.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 21.9% African American, 13.1% White, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Its largest campus is Davidson Elementary School, enrolling 599 students (60% of the district's total enrollment).
Davidson Elementary School accounts for 57.5% of all Water Valley School District student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Water Valley School District a distant remainder — means Water Valley School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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.
Water Valley School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 72.7% 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). 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.
Water Valley School District student-counselor ratio is 349:1 — 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 Water Valley School District is typically wider than the Water Valley School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Water Valley School District chronic absenteeism rate is 26.5% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Water Valley School District is typically wider than the Water Valley School District-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Water Valley School District?
Water Valley School District has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 1,041 students.
How much does Water Valley School District spend per student?
Water Valley School District spends $9,966 per student. The district has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #90 in Mississippi.
What is the demographic composition of Water Valley School District?
Water Valley School District students are 21.9% African American, 13.1% White, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Water Valley School District?
Water Valley School District has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #90 out of 146 districts in Mississippi.