Enrollment
323
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Laurel, MS
Laurel Magnet School of the Arts
Federal NCES profile for Laurel Magnet School of the Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280246000472
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Laurel Magnet School of the Arts earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Laurel · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Laurel Magnet School of the Arts has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Magnet School of the Arts ranks #1 of 3 schools in Laurel, MS.
School address
District: Laurel School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280246000472 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Laurel Magnet School of the Arts compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laurel Magnet School of the Arts
Laurel Magnet School of the Arts is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Laurel, Mississippi, enrolling 323 students.
At 13.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Mississippi median, within a few percentage points of the 13.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
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 323 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 297 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #136.
Its student body is predominantly African American (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 646 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Laurel's public schools, it stands alongside West Jones High School (1,587 students): Laurel Magnet School of the Arts is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.5:1 vs 15:1).
Laurel School District also operates Laurel High School (732 students) and Oak Park Elementary School (405 students) alongside Laurel Magnet School of the Arts.
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 Magnet School of the Arts compares
Laurel Magnet School of the Arts on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▲ 2% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 323 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
323
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 55% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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
African American 87.6%
Two or More 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
White 3.7%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 87.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.8, Laurel Magnet School of the Arts is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laurel School District, which includes Laurel Magnet School of the Arts.
$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 Magnet School of the Arts Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Park Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Laurel Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mason Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Laurel Upper Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Laurel Magnet School of the Arts's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- 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
- 253
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Laurel
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
West Jones High School
Standard public school
1,587 students 15:1 students per teacher
West Jones Elementary School
Standard public school
1,114 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Northeast Jones High School
Standard public school
938 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
North Jones Elementary School
Standard public school
854 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
East Jones Elementary School
Standard public school
794 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Glade Elementary School
Standard public school
423 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~323 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laurel Magnet School of the Arts's federal record.
- Compare Laurel Magnet School of the Arts 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 Magnet School of the Arts
How many students attend Laurel Magnet School of the Arts?
Laurel Magnet School of the Arts has 323 students enrolled. It is a public school in Laurel, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laurel Magnet School of the Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Laurel Magnet School of the Arts is 13.5:1, which is 2% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Laurel Magnet School of the Arts?
100.0% of students at Laurel Magnet School of the Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laurel Magnet School of the Arts?
The largest demographic group at Laurel Magnet School of the Arts is African American at 87.6% of enrollment, in Laurel, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laurel Magnet School of the Arts?
Laurel Magnet School of the Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Laurel Magnet School of the Arts rank among schools in Laurel?
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Magnet School of the Arts ranks #1 of 3 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 schools in Laurel on the city page.
Is Laurel Magnet School of the Arts a good school?
Laurel Magnet School of the Arts earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. 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 Magnet School of the Arts, Laurel School District also operates Laurel High School (732 students), Oak Park Elementary School (405 students), and Laurel Middle School (388 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.