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
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10045/100
👥 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

Lucedale, MS 39452
District: George Co School Dist · Mississippi

NCES ID 280156000227 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-27 students YoY

Central Elementary School held near 687 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-27 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 40.0 → 37.1 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-27 students YoY 280156000227 · Lucedale, MS Other · MID · TRAD

660 enr · 16.9:1 · 67.8% lunch · RII 45

Nearest enrollment peer: George County High School (1,115 students)

Central Elementary School held near 687 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-27 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 40.0 → 37.1 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Mississippi schools → · Find another →

Central Elementary School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Central Elementary School reports 660 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Central Elementary School compares

Central Elementary School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs 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 methodology

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
$10,015
per pupil, district-wide - below Mississippi avg of $13,683
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.

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

District finance for George Co School Dist reports $10,015 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

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

George Co School Dist · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide other schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~660 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)

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. CCD year-over-year: 714 (2022-23) → 687 (2023-24), nearly flat (-27).

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, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. 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.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .