Enrollment
388
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Laurel, MS
Laurel Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Laurel Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280246001345
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Laurel Middle School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Mississippi schools.
- #3 of 8
- public schools in Laurel · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.1:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Laurel Middle School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Middle School ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Laurel, MS.
School address
District: Laurel School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280246001345 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Laurel Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laurel Middle School
Laurel Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Laurel, Mississippi, enrolling 388 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
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.
With 388 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 307 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #87.
Its student body is led by African American (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 194 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 82.7% 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: 389 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 388 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 20 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Laurel School District also operates Laurel High School (732 students) and Oak Park Elementary School (405 students) alongside Laurel 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 Laurel Middle School compares
Laurel 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 | 11.1:1 | ▼ 17% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 388 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
388
Bigger than 46% 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
11.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 18% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
82.7%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 194 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 389 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 100.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 20 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 79.9%
Hispanic or Latino 13.9%
Two or More 3.6%
White 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 79.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.0, Laurel Middle School 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 Middle 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 Middle School 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 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mason Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Laurel Magnet School of the Arts | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Laurel Upper Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Laurel Middle School'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
- 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 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 (~388 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laurel Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Laurel Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Laurel Middle School?
Laurel Middle School has 388 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Laurel, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laurel Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Laurel Middle School is 11.1:1, which is 17% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 29% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Laurel Middle School?
100.0% of students at Laurel Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laurel Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Laurel Middle School is African American at 79.9% of enrollment, in Laurel, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laurel Middle School?
Laurel Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Middle School rank among public schools in Laurel?
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Middle School ranks #3 of 8 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 Middle School a good school?
Laurel Middle School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Middle School, Laurel School District also operates Laurel High School (732 students), Oak Park Elementary School (405 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.