Enrollment
138
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lucedale, MS
Benndale Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Benndale Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280156000981
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 72
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benndale Elementary School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Mississippi schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Mississippi.
- #1 of 5
- schools in Lucedale · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.9:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 77.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Benndale Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benndale Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 schools in Lucedale, MS.
School address
District: George Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280156000981 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.9:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.8%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benndale Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benndale Elementary School
Benndale Elementary School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Lucedale, Mississippi, enrolling 138 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.9:1, Benndale Elementary School is leaner than roughly 91% of Mississippi schools and 26% under the state's 13.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 77.8% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of Mississippi schools, with 138 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 138 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding George Co School Dist spends $9,405 per pupil, 22% below the Mississippi average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 29.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 50 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 138 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
George Co School Dist also operates George County High School (1,115 students) and Central Elementary School (660 students) alongside Benndale Elementary School.
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 Benndale Elementary School compares
Benndale Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.9:1 | ▼ 26% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.8% | ▼ 3% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 138 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.9:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
138
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
9.9:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 9% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.8%
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
$9,405
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 138 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 27.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
White 73.9%
African American 17.4%
Two or More 6.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
Largest group: White at 73.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.9, Benndale Elementary School is about as mixed as the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for George Co School Dist, which includes Benndale Elementary School.
$9,405
Per student
-22%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.4%
State 47.7%
Federal 29.9%
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 Benndale Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| George County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George County Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Agricola Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rocky Creek Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benndale Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,115
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 660
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 618
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- 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 (~138 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benndale Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Benndale Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- George 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 Benndale Elementary School
How many students attend Benndale Elementary School?
Benndale Elementary School has 138 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lucedale, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benndale Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Benndale Elementary School is 9.9:1, which is 26% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 37% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Benndale Elementary School?
77.8% of students at Benndale Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benndale Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Benndale Elementary School is White at 73.9% of enrollment, in Lucedale, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benndale Elementary School?
Benndale Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher 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 Benndale Elementary School rank among schools in Lucedale?
By Resource Investment Index, Benndale Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 schools in Lucedale, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lucedale on the city page.
Is Benndale Elementary School a good school?
Benndale Elementary School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Mississippi schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Mississippi. 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 George Co School Dist?
Besides Benndale Elementary School, George Co School Dist also operates George County High School (1,115 students), Central Elementary School (660 students), and George County Middle School (618 students). See the George 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.