Enrollment
948
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Horn Lake, MS
Horn Lake Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Horn Lake Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280132000191
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horn Lake Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Mississippi schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Horn Lake · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 81.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Horn Lake Middle School has class sizes larger than 77% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horn Lake Middle School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Horn Lake, MS.
School address
District: Desoto Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280132000191 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.1%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horn Lake Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horn Lake Middle School
Horn Lake Middle School is a high-poverty, large middle school in Horn Lake, Mississippi, enrolling 948 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 81.1% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Mississippi, bigger than 92% of state schools at 948 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 61 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #30.
Its student body is led by African American (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 316 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Desoto Co School Dist spends $8,778 per pupil, 27% below the Mississippi average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 738 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 948 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Desoto Co School Dist also operates Desoto Central High School (2,004 students) and Southaven High School (1,876 students) alongside Horn Lake Middle 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 Horn Lake Middle School compares
Horn Lake Middle 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 | 14.8:1 | ▲ 11% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.1% | ▲ 1% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 948 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
948
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 77% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.4%
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
$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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 316 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
443
in-school suspensions + 295 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 46.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 77.8 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 73.0%
Hispanic or Latino 11.5%
White 10.8%
Two or More 4.2%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 73.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.0, Horn Lake Middle School is more mixed than 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 Horn Lake Middle School.
$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 Horn Lake Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southaven High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hernando High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southaven Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Desoto Central Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horn Lake Middle School'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 middle 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 (~948 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horn Lake Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Horn Lake Middle School 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 Horn Lake Middle School
How many students attend Horn Lake Middle School?
Horn Lake Middle School has 948 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Horn Lake, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horn Lake Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Horn Lake Middle School is 14.8:1, which is 11% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Horn Lake Middle School?
81.1% of students at Horn Lake Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horn Lake Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Horn Lake Middle School is African American at 73.0% of enrollment, in Horn Lake, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horn Lake Middle School?
Horn Lake Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Horn Lake Middle School rank among public schools in Horn Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Horn Lake Middle School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Horn Lake, 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 Horn Lake on the city page.
Is Horn Lake Middle School a good school?
Horn Lake Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Horn Lake Middle School, 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.