Enrollment
216
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia, MS
East Marion High School
Federal NCES profile for East Marion High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280282000545
👥 S:T ratio 69
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Marion High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Mississippi schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.7:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
East Marion High School has class sizes smaller than 97% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, East Marion High School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Columbia, MS.
School address
District: Marion Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280282000545 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.7:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-42% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Marion High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Marion High School
East Marion High School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Columbia, Mississippi, enrolling 216 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.7:1, East Marion High School is leaner than roughly 97% of Mississippi schools and 42% 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 216 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.
Among 166 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #129, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 216 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.4% 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: 167 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 216 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 18 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbia's public schools, it stands alongside Columbia Primary School (448 students): East Marion High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.7:1 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 High 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 High School compares
East Marion High 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 | 7.7:1 | ▼ 42% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 216 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.7:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
216
Bigger than 21% 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
7.7:1
students per teacher
- 42% below state mean
Top 3% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
44.4%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 216 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
129
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 59.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 77.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 18 expulsions.
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 80.1%
White 17.6%
Two or More 1.4%
Hispanic or Latino 0.9%
Largest group: African American at 80.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.7, East Marion High School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Marion Co School Dist, which includes East Marion High 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 High 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 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Marion Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Marion Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Marion High 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
- 298
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 259
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- 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 (~216 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Marion High School's federal record.
- Compare East Marion High 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 High School
How many students attend East Marion High School?
East Marion High School has 216 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Marion High School?
The student-teacher ratio at East Marion High School is 7.7:1, which is 42% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 51% 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 High School?
100.0% of students at East Marion High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Marion High School?
The largest demographic group at East Marion High School is African American at 80.1% of enrollment, in Columbia, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Marion High School?
East Marion High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does East Marion High School rank among schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, East Marion High School ranks #3 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 High School a good school?
East Marion High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% 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 High School, Marion Co School Dist also operates West Marion Primary School (435 students), West Marion High School (347 students), and East Marion Elementary School (298 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.