Enrollment
527
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Meridian, MS
Clarkdale Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Clarkdale Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280243001362
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clarkdale Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #6 of 10
- schools in Meridian · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- students per teacher
- 44.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Clarkdale Elementary School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clarkdale Elementary School ranks #6 of 10 schools in Meridian, MS.
School address
District: Lauderdale Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280243001362 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.2%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clarkdale Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clarkdale Elementary School
Clarkdale Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Meridian, Mississippi, enrolling 527 students.
At 12.9:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 44.2% free-meal eligibility runs 45% below the Mississippi average.
Enrollment of 527 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 91 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #27.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 527 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Meridian's public schools, it stands alongside West Lauderdale Elementary School (761 students): Clarkdale Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.9:1 vs 15.9:1).
Lauderdale Co School Dist also operates West Lauderdale Elementary School (761 students) and Northeast Lauderdale Elementary (730 students) alongside Clarkdale 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 Clarkdale Elementary School compares
Clarkdale 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 | 12.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.2% | ▼ 45% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 527 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
527
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 44% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,345
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 527 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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 82.9%
African American 9.3%
Two or More 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 82.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.0, Clarkdale 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 Lauderdale Co School Dist, which includes Clarkdale Elementary School.
$10,345
Per student
-14%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.1%
State 50.9%
Federal 19.0%
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 Clarkdale Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Lauderdale Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northeast Lauderdale Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northeast Lauderdale High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southeast Lauderdale Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Lauderdale Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clarkdale Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 761
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 730
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 608
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 562
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Meridian
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
West Lauderdale Elementary School
Standard public school
761 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Northeast Lauderdale Elementary
Standard public school
730 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Southeast Lauderdale Elementary
Standard public school
562 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
T J Harris Elementary
Standard public school
434 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
West Hills Elementary School
Standard public school
423 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Clarkdale High School
Standard public school
422 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~527 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clarkdale Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Clarkdale Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lauderdale 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 Clarkdale Elementary School
How many students attend Clarkdale Elementary School?
Clarkdale Elementary School has 527 students enrolled. It is a public school in Meridian, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clarkdale Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Clarkdale Elementary School is 12.9:1, which is 3% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 18% 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 Clarkdale Elementary School?
44.2% of students at Clarkdale Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Clarkdale Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Clarkdale Elementary School is White at 82.9% of enrollment, in Meridian, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clarkdale Elementary School?
Clarkdale Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Clarkdale Elementary School rank among schools in Meridian?
By Resource Investment Index, Clarkdale Elementary School ranks #6 of 10 schools in Meridian, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Meridian on the city page.
Is Clarkdale Elementary School a good school?
Clarkdale Elementary School earns 44/100 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 Lauderdale Co School Dist?
Besides Clarkdale Elementary School, Lauderdale Co School Dist also operates West Lauderdale Elementary School (761 students), Northeast Lauderdale Elementary (730 students), and Northeast Lauderdale High School (608 students). See the Lauderdale 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.