Enrollment
418
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waynesboro, MS
Clara Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Clara Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280453000848
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clara Elementary School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Waynesboro · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Clara Elementary School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clara Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Waynesboro, MS.
School address
District: Wayne Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280453000848 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clara Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clara Elementary School
Clara Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Waynesboro, Mississippi, enrolling 418 students.
At 13.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Mississippi median, within a few percentage points of the 13.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
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.
With 418 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 281 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
10.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 36.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Waynesboro's elementary schools, it stands alongside Waynesboro Riverview Ele School (491 students): Clara Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.5:1 vs 13.6:1).
Wayne Co School Dist also operates Wayne County High School (775 students) and Waynesboro Riverview Ele School (491 students) alongside Clara 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 Clara Elementary School compares
Clara 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 | 13.5:1 | ▲ 2% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 418 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
418
Bigger than 50% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 55% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,621
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 87.6%
African American 7.7%
Two or More 3.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
Largest group: White at 87.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.5, Clara Elementary School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wayne Co School Dist, which includes Clara Elementary School.
$11,621
Per student
-3%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.8%
State 39.2%
Federal 36.1%
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 Clara Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waynesboro Riverview Ele School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wayne Central Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buckatunna Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beat Four Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clara Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 775
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 459
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 416
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar elementary schools in Waynesboro
3 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 (~418 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clara Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Clara Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Wayne 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 Clara Elementary School
How many students attend Clara Elementary School?
Clara Elementary School has 418 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waynesboro, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clara Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Clara Elementary School is 13.5:1, which is 2% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Clara Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Clara Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Clara Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Clara Elementary School is White at 87.6% of enrollment, in Waynesboro, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clara Elementary School?
Clara Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (higher 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 Clara Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Waynesboro?
By Resource Investment Index, Clara Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Waynesboro, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Waynesboro on the city page.
Is Clara Elementary School a good school?
Clara Elementary School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. 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 Wayne Co School Dist?
Besides Clara Elementary School, Wayne Co School Dist also operates Wayne County High School (775 students), Waynesboro Riverview Ele School (491 students), and Wayne Central Elementary School (459 students). See the Wayne 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.