Enrollment
660
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lucedale, MS
Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280156000227
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Mississippi schools.
- #2 of 5
- schools in Lucedale · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 67.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary School has class sizes larger than 93% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 schools in Lucedale, MS.
School address
District: George Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280156000227 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.8%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary School
Central Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lucedale, Mississippi, enrolling 660 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.9:1 is larger than about 93% of Mississippi schools and 27% above the 13.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 67.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 660 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 158 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #38.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Two or More (18%) (diversity index 42/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.3% 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.
George Co School Dist also operates George County High School (1,115 students) and George County Middle School (618 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary School compares
Central 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 | 16.9:1 | ▲ 27% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.8% | ▼ 16% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 660 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
660
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 93% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.3%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
37
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.4 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 73.8%
Two or More 17.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
African American 3.6%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 73.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.0, Central 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 Central 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 Central Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| George County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| George County Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Agricola Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rocky Creek Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lt Taylor Intermediate School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central 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
- 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
- Enrollment
- 293
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~660 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Central 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 Central Elementary School
How many students attend Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has 660 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lucedale, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 16.9:1, which is 27% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary School?
67.8% of students at Central Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary School is White at 73.8% of enrollment, in Lucedale, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Elementary School rank among schools in Lucedale?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #2 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 Central Elementary School a good school?
Central Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 George Co School Dist?
Besides Central Elementary School, George Co School Dist also operates George County High School (1,115 students), George County Middle School (618 students), and Agricola Elementary School (543 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.