Enrollment
770
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hernando, MS
Hernando Hills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hernando Hills Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280132001287
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hernando Hills Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Mississippi schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Hernando · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 28.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Hernando Hills Elementary has class sizes larger than 92% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hernando Hills Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Hernando, MS.
School address
District: Desoto Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280132001287 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hernando Hills Elementary compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hernando Hills Elementary
Hernando Hills Elementary is a large elementary school in Hernando, Mississippi, enrolling 770 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.7:1 is larger than about 92% of Mississippi schools and 26% above the 13.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 28.0% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the Mississippi average.
Enrollment of 770 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.
Against 41 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #25.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and African American (12%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 770 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Desoto Co School Dist spends $8,778 per pupil, 27% below the Mississippi average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Desoto Co School Dist also operates Desoto Central High School (2,004 students) and Southaven High School (1,876 students) alongside Hernando Hills Elementary.
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 Hernando Hills Elementary compares
Hernando Hills Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▲ 26% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.0% | ▼ 65% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 770 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
770
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 92% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.9%
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 770 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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
White 73.9%
African American 12.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%
Two or More 4.7%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 73.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.0, Hernando Hills Elementary is about as mixed as 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 Hernando Hills Elementary.
$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 Hernando Hills Elementary 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hernando High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southaven Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Desoto Central Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hernando Hills Elementary'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 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 (~770 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hernando Hills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hernando Hills Elementary 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 Hernando Hills Elementary
How many students attend Hernando Hills Elementary?
Hernando Hills Elementary has 770 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hernando, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hernando Hills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hernando Hills Elementary is 16.7:1, which is 26% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hernando Hills Elementary?
28.0% of students at Hernando Hills Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hernando Hills Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hernando Hills Elementary is White at 73.9% of enrollment, in Hernando, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hernando Hills Elementary?
Hernando Hills Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Hernando Hills Elementary rank among elementary schools in Hernando?
By Resource Investment Index, Hernando Hills Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Hernando, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Hernando on the city page.
Is Hernando Hills Elementary a good school?
Hernando Hills Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Desoto Co School Dist?
Besides Hernando Hills Elementary, 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.