Enrollment
732
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Laurel, MS
Laurel High School
Federal NCES profile for Laurel High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 280246000479
👥 S:T ratio 21
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Laurel High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Mississippi schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Laurel · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Laurel High School has class sizes larger than 98% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Laurel, MS.
School address
District: Laurel School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280246000479 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+49% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Laurel High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laurel High School
Laurel High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Laurel, Mississippi, enrolling 732 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.8:1 is larger than about 98% of Mississippi schools and 49% above the 13.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 732 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 105 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #89, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 36/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 244 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 256 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 732 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 9 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Laurel School District also operates Oak Park Elementary School (405 students) and Laurel Middle School (388 students) alongside Laurel 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 Laurel High School compares
Laurel 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 49% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 732 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
732
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 49% above state mean
Top 98% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
66.0%
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
$10,638
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 244 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 253 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 9 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 78.4%
Hispanic or Latino 15.6%
Two or More 4.2%
White 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Asian 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 78.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.9, Laurel High School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laurel School District, which includes Laurel High School.
$10,638
Per student
-11%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.2%
State 32.6%
Federal 19.2%
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 Laurel High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Park Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laurel Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mason Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laurel Magnet School of the Arts | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laurel Upper Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Laurel High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 253
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high 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 (~732 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laurel High School's federal record.
- Compare Laurel High School against another school. Compare schools
- Laurel School District'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 Laurel High School
How many students attend Laurel High School?
Laurel High School has 732 students enrolled. It is a high school in Laurel, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laurel High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Laurel High School is 19.8:1, which is 49% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Laurel High School?
100.0% of students at Laurel High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laurel High School?
The largest demographic group at Laurel High School is African American at 78.4% of enrollment, in Laurel, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laurel High School?
Laurel High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Laurel High School rank among public schools in Laurel?
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Laurel, 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 Laurel on the city page.
Is Laurel High School a good school?
Laurel High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Laurel School District?
Besides Laurel High School, Laurel School District also operates Oak Park Elementary School (405 students), Laurel Middle School (388 students), and Mason Elementary School (345 students). See the Laurel School District 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.