Enrollment
245
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pascagoula, MS
Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280348000668
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Pascagoula · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Pascagoula, MS.
School address
District: Pascagoula-Gautier School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280348000668 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% 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 high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Pascagoula, Mississippi, enrolling 245 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 245 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 211 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #46.
Its student body is led by African American (50%) and White (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 245 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Pascagoula-Gautier School District spends $14,596 per pupil, 22% above the Mississippi average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Pascagoula's public schools, it stands alongside Eastlawn Elementary School (337 students): Central Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.3:1 vs 12.5:1).
Pascagoula-Gautier School District also operates Pascagoula High School (1,127 students) and Gautier High School (900 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 8% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 245 | top 84% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
245
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 34% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
23.3%
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
$14,596
per pupil, district-wide
- above Mississippi avg of $11,990
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 245 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 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
African American 49.8%
White 29.0%
Hispanic or Latino 15.9%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 49.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, Central Elementary School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pascagoula-Gautier School District, which includes Central Elementary School.
$14,596
Per student
+22%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.1%
State 31.8%
Federal 21.1%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pascagoula High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gautier High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William M Colmer Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Trent Lott Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gautier Middle School | Larger | Similar 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
- 1,127
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 900
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 524
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 416
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Pascagoula
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~245 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Pascagoula-Gautier 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 School
How many students attend Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has 245 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pascagoula, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 12.3:1, which is 8% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 22% 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 Central Elementary School?
100.0% 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 African American at 49.8% of enrollment, in Pascagoula, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Central Elementary School rank among schools in Pascagoula?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Pascagoula, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Pascagoula on the city page.
Is Central Elementary School a good school?
Central Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. 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 Pascagoula-Gautier School District?
Besides Central Elementary School, Pascagoula-Gautier School District also operates Pascagoula High School (1,127 students), Gautier High School (900 students), and William M Colmer Middle School (532 students). See the Pascagoula-Gautier 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.