Enrollment
298
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia, MS
East Marion Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for East Marion Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280282001243
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Marion Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of Mississippi schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.6:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
East Marion Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 93% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, East Marion Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Columbia, MS.
School address
District: Marion Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280282001243 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.6:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Marion Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Marion Elementary School
East Marion Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia, Mississippi, enrolling 298 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.6:1, East Marion Elementary School is leaner than roughly 93% of Mississippi schools and 28% under the state's 13.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
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 298 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 276 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #134.
Its student body is led by African American (64%) and White (28%) (diversity index 51/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 31.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 150 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 298 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Columbia's public schools, it stands alongside Columbia Primary School (448 students): East Marion Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.6:1 vs 12.4:1).
Marion Co School Dist also operates West Marion Primary School (435 students) and West Marion High School (347 students) alongside East Marion 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 East Marion Elementary School compares
East Marion 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 | 9.6:1 | ▼ 28% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 298 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.6:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
298
Bigger than 32% 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
9.6:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 7% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.3%
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
$12,259
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
90
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 30.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.3 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 63.8%
White 27.5%
Two or More 7.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.0%
Largest group: African American at 63.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.1, East Marion 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 Marion Co School Dist, which includes East Marion Elementary School.
$12,259
Per student
+2%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.7%
State 46.8%
Federal 31.6%
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 East Marion Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Marion Primary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Marion High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Marion Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Marion High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Marion Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 347
- Students per teacher
- 7.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 259
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 216
- Students per teacher
- 7.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Columbia
2 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 (~298 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Marion Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare East Marion Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Marion 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 East Marion Elementary School
How many students attend East Marion Elementary School?
East Marion Elementary School has 298 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Marion Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at East Marion Elementary School is 9.6:1, which is 28% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 39% 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 East Marion Elementary School?
100.0% of students at East Marion Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Marion Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at East Marion Elementary School is African American at 63.8% of enrollment, in Columbia, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Marion Elementary School?
East Marion Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 East Marion Elementary School rank among schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, East Marion Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Columbia, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is East Marion Elementary School a good school?
East Marion Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of 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 Marion Co School Dist?
Besides East Marion Elementary School, Marion Co School Dist also operates West Marion Primary School (435 students), West Marion High School (347 students), and West Marion Elementary (259 students). See the Marion 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.