Enrollment
465
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Indianola, MS
Gentry High School
Federal NCES profile for Gentry High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 280018701425
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gentry High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Indianola · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Gentry High School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gentry High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Indianola, MS.
School address
District: Sunflower Cty Cons School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280018701425 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gentry High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gentry High School
Gentry High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Indianola, Mississippi, enrolling 465 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
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 465 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 257 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #244, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 465 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 146 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 465 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Sunflower Cty Cons School District also operates Lockard Elementary School (393 students) and Robert L Merritt Junior High School (341 students) alongside Gentry 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 Gentry High School compares
Gentry 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 | 14.1:1 | ▲ 6% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 465 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
465
Bigger than 57% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 66% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.1%
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
$13,004
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 465 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 146 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 95.1%
Two or More 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%
White 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 95.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.4, Gentry High School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sunflower Cty Cons School District, which includes Gentry High School.
$13,004
Per student
+8%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 40.8%
Federal 29.0%
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 Gentry High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lockard Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert L Merritt Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ruleville Central Elem School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Carver Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gentry High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 331
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 271
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 250
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar high 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 (~465 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gentry High School's federal record.
- Compare Gentry High School against another school. Compare schools
- Sunflower Cty Cons School District'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 Gentry High School
How many students attend Gentry High School?
Gentry High School has 465 students enrolled. It is a high school in Indianola, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gentry High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gentry High School is 14.1:1, which is 6% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gentry High School?
100.0% of students at Gentry High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gentry High School?
The largest demographic group at Gentry High School is African American at 95.1% of enrollment, in Indianola, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gentry High School?
Gentry High School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 Gentry High School rank among public schools in Indianola?
By Resource Investment Index, Gentry High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Indianola, 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 Indianola on the city page.
Is Gentry High School a good school?
Gentry High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. It is also less 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 Sunflower Cty Cons School District?
Besides Gentry High School, Sunflower Cty Cons School District also operates Lockard Elementary School (393 students), Robert L Merritt Junior High School (341 students), and Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School (331 students). See the Sunflower Cty Cons School District 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.