Enrollment
507
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 280423000800
Independence High School — Coldwater, MS
Federal NCES profile for Independence High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 19/100.
👥 Class size 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
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: Tate Co School 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)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 13.4:1 Mississippi avg
+4% 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
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
Independence High School reports 507 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% 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 12% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 70.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 13% below the Mississippi average and 35% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 507 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 48.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Tate Co School Dist spends $10,870 per pupil district-wide, below the Mississippi average of $13,402 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 22.9% from local sources (property taxes), 49.3% from the state, and 27.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (F), 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 Independence High School 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 | 14:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.1% | ▼ 13% | 80.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 507 | top 65% | — | — |
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
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
14:1
students per teacher
— 4% above state mean
Top 62% in Mississippi — lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
48.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,870
per pupil, district-wide
— below Mississippi avg of $13,402
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints 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
Enrollment 507 Top 65% in Mississippi — larger than 35% of 877 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 14:1 +4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 70.1% -13% vs state
NCES ID 280423000800
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 507:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 48.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 68
Expulsions 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tate Co School Dist, which includes Independence High School.
$10,870
Per student
-19%
vs Mississippi
Avg $13,402
-44%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Enrollment
- 213
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Enrollment
- 167
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
Similar other schools in Coldwater
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 Independence High School
How many students attend Independence High School?
Independence High School has 507 students enrolled. It is a other school in Coldwater, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence High School is 14:1, which is 4% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.4:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Coldwater, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence High School?
Independence High School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (F) 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.