Enrollment
507
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Coldwater, MS
Independence High School
Federal NCES profile for Independence High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280423000800
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence High School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Mississippi schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.4:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 70.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 507
- students enrolled
Independence High School has class sizes larger than 82% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Tate Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280423000800 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.1%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence High School
Independence High School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Coldwater, Mississippi, enrolling 507 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 70.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 507 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 167 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #166, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (45%) and White (40%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 507 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 27.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Coldwater's public schools, it stands alongside Coldwater High School (167 students): Independence High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.4:1 vs 13.9:1).
Tate Co School Dist also operates East Tate Elementary School (473 students) and Strayhorn Elementary School (407 students) alongside Independence 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 Independence High School compares
Independence 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 16% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.1% | ▼ 13% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 507 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
507
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 82% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
48.1%
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
$10,486
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 507 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 68 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 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 45.4%
White 39.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
Two or More 5.1%
Largest group: African American at 45.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.3, Independence High School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tate Co School Dist, which includes Independence High School.
$10,486
Per student
-13%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.9%
State 49.3%
Federal 27.8%
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 Independence High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Tate Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Strayhorn Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Strayhorn High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coldwater Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Coldwater High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Independence High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 213
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 167
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other schools in Coldwater
1 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 (~507 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence High School's federal record.
- Compare Independence High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tate 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 Independence High School
How many students attend Independence High School?
Independence High School has 507 students enrolled. It is a public school in Coldwater, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence High School is 15.4:1, which is 16% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Independence High School?
70.1% of students at Independence High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence High School?
The largest demographic group at Independence High School is African American at 45.4% of enrollment, in Coldwater, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence High School?
Independence High School has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (lower 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).
Is Independence High School a good school?
Independence High School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Mississippi schools. It is also more 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 Tate Co School Dist?
Besides Independence High School, Tate Co School Dist also operates East Tate Elementary School (473 students), Strayhorn Elementary School (407 students), and Strayhorn High School (404 students). See the Tate 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.