Enrollment
1,066
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 280018901438
Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary — Starkville, MS
Federal NCES profile for Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 70
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons Dist · Mississippi
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
66.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 13.4:1 Mississippi avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.7%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary reports 1,066 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 66.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% above the Mississippi state mean of 13.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 68.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 15% below the Mississippi average and 33% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 426 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 12.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons Dist spends $13,772 per pupil district-wide, above the Mississippi average of $13,402 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 43.0% from local sources (property taxes), 35.9% from the state, and 21.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Mississippi state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 7% | 13.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.7% | ▼ 15% | 80.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,066 | top 94% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
68.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 15% 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
14.4:1
students per teacher
— 7% above state mean
Top 69% in Mississippi — lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
12.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$13,772
per pupil, district-wide
— above Mississippi avg of $13,402
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 426 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 11 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,066 Top 94% in Mississippi — larger than 6% of 877 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 66.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 +7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 68.7% -15% vs state
NCES ID 280018901438
Student demographics
African American 65.1%
White 28.1%
Asian 3.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
Two or More 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 65.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.5
Students per counselor 426:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 12.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Expulsions 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons Dist, which includes Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary.
$13,772
Per student
+3%
vs Mississippi
Avg $13,402
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 43.0%
State 35.9%
Federal 21.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,376
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Enrollment
- 920
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Enrollment
- 358
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Enrollment
- 324
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary
How many students attend Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary?
Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary has 1,066 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in STARKVILLE, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary is 14.4:1, which is 7% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.4:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary?
68.7% of students at Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary is African American at 65.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in STARKVILLE, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary?
Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.