Enrollment
709
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oxford, MS
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280345000662
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Mississippi schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Oxford · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 42.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes larger than 77% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Oxford, MS.
School address
District: Oxford School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280345000662 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.1%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Oxford, Mississippi, enrolling 709 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 42.1% free-meal eligibility runs 48% below the Mississippi average.
Enrollment of 709 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 88 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #33.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and African American (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 709 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Oxford's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lafayette Upper Elementary School (803 students): Central Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.8:1 vs 13.6:1).
Oxford School District also operates Oxford High School (1,335 students) and Bramlett Elementary School (715 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary compares
Central 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 | 42.1% | ▼ 48% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 709 | top 19% | - | - |
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.
709
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
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
19.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,968
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 709 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 47.4%
African American 28.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.6%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 47.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.3, Central Elementary is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Oxford School District, which includes Central Elementary.
$10,968
Per student
-9%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.6%
State 33.9%
Federal 12.5%
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.
How Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bramlett Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Della Davidson Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oxford Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oxford Intermediate School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,335
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 704
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Oxford
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~709 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Oxford School District'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 Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 709 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oxford, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central 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 Central Elementary?
42.1% of students at Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is White at 47.4% of enrollment, in Oxford, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical 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 Central Elementary rank among public schools in Oxford?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Oxford, 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 Oxford on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Mississippi schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Oxford School District?
Besides Central Elementary, Oxford School District also operates Oxford High School (1,335 students), Bramlett Elementary School (715 students), and Della Davidson Elementary (704 students). See the Oxford School District 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.