Enrollment
531
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Port Gibson, MS
A. W. Watson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for A. W. Watson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280102001213
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
A. W. Watson Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Mississippi schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Port Gibson · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.8:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
A. W. Watson Elementary has class sizes larger than 77% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, A. W. Watson Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Port Gibson, MS.
School address
District: Claiborne Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280102001213 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How A. W. Watson Elementary compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at A. W. Watson Elementary
A. W. Watson Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Port Gibson, Mississippi, enrolling 531 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 531 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Among 221 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #186, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 531 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Claiborne Co School Dist also operates Port Gibson High School (381 students) and Port Gibson Middle School (223 students) alongside A. W. Watson Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How A. W. Watson Elementary compares
A. W. Watson Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 11% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 531 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
531
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 77% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
49.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,676
per pupil, district-wide
- above Mississippi avg of $11,990
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 531 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 83.8%
Two or More 14.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
Largest group: African American at 83.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.6, A. W. Watson Elementary is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Claiborne Co School Dist, which includes A. W. Watson Elementary.
$12,676
Per student
+6%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.0%
State 44.3%
Federal 22.8%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How A. W. Watson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Gibson High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Port Gibson Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to A. W. Watson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 381
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 223
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~531 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on A. W. Watson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare A. W. Watson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Claiborne Co School Dist's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about A. W. Watson Elementary
How many students attend A. W. Watson Elementary?
A. W. Watson Elementary has 531 students enrolled. It is a public school in Port Gibson, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at A. W. Watson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at A. W. Watson Elementary is 14.8:1, which is 11% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at A. W. Watson Elementary?
100.0% of students at A. W. Watson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of A. W. Watson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at A. W. Watson Elementary is African American at 83.8% of enrollment, in Port Gibson, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for A. W. Watson Elementary?
A. W. Watson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does A. W. Watson Elementary rank among public schools in Port Gibson?
By Resource Investment Index, A. W. Watson Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Port Gibson, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Port Gibson on the city page.
Is A. W. Watson Elementary a good school?
A. W. Watson Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Mississippi schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Claiborne Co School Dist?
Besides A. W. Watson Elementary, Claiborne Co School Dist also operates Port Gibson High School (381 students) and Port Gibson Middle School (223 students). See the Claiborne Co School Dist district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.