Enrollment
792
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Southaven, MS
Desoto Central Primary
Federal NCES profile for Desoto Central Primary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280132001369
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desoto Central Primary earns 30/100 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 3
- public schools in Southaven · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 36.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Desoto Central Primary has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desoto Central Primary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Southaven, MS.
School address
District: Desoto Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280132001369 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.2%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desoto Central Primary compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desoto Central Primary
Desoto Central Primary is a large elementary school in Southaven, Mississippi, enrolling 792 students.
At 13.7:1, 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, 36.2% free-meal eligibility runs 55% below the Mississippi average.
Enrollment of 792 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Among 67 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #55, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and African American (37%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 792 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Desoto Co School Dist spends $8,778 per pupil, 27% below the Mississippi average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Southaven's elementary schools, it stands alongside Southaven Intermediate School (1,046 students): Desoto Central Primary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.7:1 vs 14.5:1).
Desoto Co School Dist also operates Desoto Central High School (2,004 students) and Southaven High School (1,876 students) alongside Desoto Central Primary.
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 Desoto Central Primary compares
Desoto Central Primary on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▲ 3% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.2% | ▼ 55% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 792 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
792
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% below the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 59% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.5%
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
$8,778
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 792 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 38.4%
African American 36.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%
Two or More 8.5%
Asian 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 38.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.4, Desoto Central Primary is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desoto Co School Dist, which includes Desoto Central Primary.
$8,778
Per student
-27%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 51.9%
Federal 14.3%
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 Desoto Central Primary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southaven High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hernando High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southaven Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desoto Central Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desoto Central Primary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,004
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,876
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,529
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,423
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,388
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar elementary schools in Southaven
1 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 (~792 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desoto Central Primary's federal record.
- Compare Desoto Central Primary against another school. Compare schools
- Desoto 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 Desoto Central Primary
How many students attend Desoto Central Primary?
Desoto Central Primary has 792 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Southaven, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desoto Central Primary?
The student-teacher ratio at Desoto Central Primary is 13.7:1, which is 3% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desoto Central Primary?
36.2% of students at Desoto Central Primary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desoto Central Primary?
The largest demographic group at Desoto Central Primary is White at 38.4% of enrollment, in Southaven, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desoto Central Primary?
Desoto Central Primary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Desoto Central Primary rank among public schools in Southaven?
By Resource Investment Index, Desoto Central Primary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Southaven, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Southaven on the city page.
Is Desoto Central Primary a good school?
Desoto Central Primary earns 30/100 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 Desoto Co School Dist?
Besides Desoto Central Primary, Desoto Co School Dist also operates Desoto Central High School (2,004 students), Southaven High School (1,876 students), and Hernando High School (1,529 students). See the Desoto 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.