Enrollment
393
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Indianola, MS
Lockard Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Lockard Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280018701399
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lockard Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Mississippi schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Indianola · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Lockard Elementary School has class sizes larger than 85% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lockard Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Indianola, MS.
School address
District: Sunflower Cty Cons School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280018701399 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lockard Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lockard Elementary School
Lockard Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Indianola, Mississippi, enrolling 393 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the larger 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 393 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Among 305 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #225, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 393 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Indianola's elementary schools, it stands alongside Carver Elementary School (250 students): Lockard Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.7:1 vs 11.4:1).
Sunflower Cty Cons School District also operates Gentry High School (465 students) and Robert L Merritt Junior High School (341 students) alongside Lockard Elementary 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 Lockard Elementary School compares
Lockard Elementary 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 | 15.7:1 | ▲ 18% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 393 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
393
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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 85% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.1%
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
$13,004
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 393 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 91.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
White 2.0%
Two or More 1.5%
Largest group: African American at 91.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.8, Lockard Elementary School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sunflower Cty Cons School District, which includes Lockard Elementary School.
$13,004
Per student
+8%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 40.8%
Federal 29.0%
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 Lockard Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gentry High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Robert L Merritt Junior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ruleville Central Elem School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carver Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lockard Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 331
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 271
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 250
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Indianola
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~393 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lockard Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Lockard Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Sunflower Cty Cons 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 Lockard Elementary School
How many students attend Lockard Elementary School?
Lockard Elementary School has 393 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Indianola, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lockard Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lockard Elementary School is 15.7:1, which is 18% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lockard Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Lockard Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lockard Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Lockard Elementary School is African American at 91.6% of enrollment, in Indianola, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lockard Elementary School?
Lockard Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Lockard Elementary School rank among public schools in Indianola?
By Resource Investment Index, Lockard Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Indianola, 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 Indianola on the city page.
Is Lockard Elementary School a good school?
Lockard Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Mississippi schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Sunflower Cty Cons School District?
Besides Lockard Elementary School, Sunflower Cty Cons School District also operates Gentry High School (465 students), Robert L Merritt Junior High School (341 students), and Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School (331 students). See the Sunflower Cty Cons 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.