Enrollment
345
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Laurel, MS
Mason Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Mason Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280246000476
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mason Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Laurel · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mason Elementary School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mason Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Laurel, MS.
School address
District: Laurel School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280246000476 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mason Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mason Elementary School
Mason Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Laurel, Mississippi, enrolling 345 students.
At 13.3:1, 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.
With 345 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 304 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #249, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 690 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.2% 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.
Among Laurel's public schools, it stands alongside West Jones High School (1,587 students): Mason Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 15:1).
Laurel School District also operates Laurel High School (732 students) and Oak Park Elementary School (405 students) alongside Mason 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 Mason Elementary School compares
Mason 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 0% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 345 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
345
Bigger than 39% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 51% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.2%
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 61 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.7 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laurel School District, which includes Mason Elementary 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 Mason Elementary 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Laurel Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laurel Magnet School of the Arts | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Laurel Upper Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mason Elementary 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
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- 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 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 (~345 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mason Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Mason Elementary 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 Mason Elementary School
How many students attend Mason Elementary School?
Mason Elementary School has 345 students enrolled. It is a public school in Laurel, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mason Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mason Elementary School is 13.3:1, which is 0% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mason Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Mason Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mason Elementary School?
Mason Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Mason Elementary School rank among schools in Laurel?
By Resource Investment Index, Mason Elementary School ranks #3 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 Mason Elementary School a good school?
Mason Elementary School earns 32/100 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 Mason Elementary School, 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.