Enrollment
253
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Laurel, MS
Laurel Upper Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Laurel Upper Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280246001374
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Laurel Upper Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Mississippi schools.
- #4 of 8
- public schools in Laurel · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.7:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Laurel Upper Elementary has class sizes smaller than 92% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Upper Elementary ranks #4 of 8 public schools in Laurel, MS.
School address
District: Laurel School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280246001374 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.7:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Laurel Upper Elementary compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laurel Upper Elementary
Laurel Upper Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Laurel, Mississippi, enrolling 253 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.7:1, Laurel Upper Elementary is leaner than roughly 92% of Mississippi schools and 27% under the state's 13.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
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 253 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 221 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #103.
Its student body is predominantly African American (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 253 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.2% 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: 111 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 253 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 12 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 Upper Elementary.
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 Upper Elementary compares
Laurel Upper Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.7:1 | ▼ 27% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 253 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.7:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
253
Bigger than 26% 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
9.7:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 8% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
52.2%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 253 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 110 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 43.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 12 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 81.0%
Hispanic or Latino 15.8%
Two or More 1.6%
White 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 81.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.9, Laurel Upper Elementary 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 Upper Elementary.
$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 Upper Elementary 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Laurel Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mason Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Laurel Magnet School of the Arts | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Laurel Upper Elementary'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
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar elementary 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 (~253 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laurel Upper Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Laurel Upper Elementary 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 Upper Elementary
How many students attend Laurel Upper Elementary?
Laurel Upper Elementary has 253 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Laurel, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laurel Upper Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Laurel Upper Elementary is 9.7:1, which is 27% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 38% 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 Upper Elementary?
100.0% of students at Laurel Upper Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laurel Upper Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Laurel Upper Elementary is African American at 81.0% of enrollment, in Laurel, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laurel Upper Elementary?
Laurel Upper Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Upper Elementary rank among public schools in Laurel?
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Upper Elementary ranks #4 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 Upper Elementary a good school?
Laurel Upper Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% 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 Upper Elementary, 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.