Enrollment
528
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 280063000055
Back Bay Elementary School — Biloxi, MS
Federal NCES profile for Back Bay Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 26
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Biloxi Public School Dist · Mississippi
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 13.4:1 Mississippi avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.6%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Back Bay Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Back Bay Elementary School reports 528 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 44.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% below the Mississippi state mean of 13.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 71.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 11% below the Mississippi average and 38% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Biloxi Public School Dist spends $15,502 per pupil district-wide, above the Mississippi average of $13,402 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 37.7% from local sources (property taxes), 31.8% from the state, and 30.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Back Bay Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Mississippi state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.2:1 | ▼ 9% | 13.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.6% | ▼ 11% | 80.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 528 | top 67% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
71.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 11% below the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.2:1
students per teacher
— 9% below state mean
Top 28% in Mississippi — lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
29.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,502
per pupil, district-wide
— above Mississippi avg of $13,402
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
67
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 528 Top 67% in Mississippi — larger than 33% of 877 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 44.0
Students per teacher 12.2:1 -9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 71.6% -11% vs state
NCES ID 280063000055
Student demographics
White 34.8%
African American 32.0%
Hispanic or Latino 19.5%
Two or More 11.6%
Asian 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: White at 34.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 29.7%
In-school suspensions 67
Out-of-school suspensions 38
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Biloxi Public School Dist, which includes Back Bay Elementary School.
$15,502
Per student
+16%
vs Mississippi
Avg $13,402
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 31.8%
Federal 30.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,669
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 863
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Enrollment
- 844
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Enrollment
- 658
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Enrollment
- 608
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
Similar elementary schools in Biloxi
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Creekbend Elementary and Middle
Standard public school
996 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Biloxi Upper Elementary
Standard public school
844 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
North Bay Elementary School
Standard public school
658 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Popps Ferry Elementary School
Standard public school
608 students 12:1 students per teacher
St Martin N Elementary School
Standard public school
537 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Woolmarket Elementary School
Standard public school
533 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Back Bay Elementary School
How many students attend Back Bay Elementary School?
Back Bay Elementary School has 528 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Biloxi, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Back Bay Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Back Bay Elementary School is 12.2:1, which is 9% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.4:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Back Bay Elementary School?
71.6% of students at Back Bay Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Back Bay Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Back Bay Elementary School is White at 34.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Biloxi, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Back Bay Elementary School?
Back Bay Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.