Enrollment
882
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Decatur, MS
Newton County Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Newton County Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280315001222
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Newton County Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 53.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 882
- students enrolled
Newton County Elementary School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Newton County School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280315001222 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
69.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.7%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Newton County Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Newton County Elementary School
Newton County Elementary School is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Decatur, Mississippi, enrolling 882 students.
At 12.8:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 53.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Mississippi, bigger than 90% of state schools at 882 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 131 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #61.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 882 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 279 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 882 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 60 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Decatur's public schools, it stands alongside Newton County High School (768 students): Newton County Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.8:1 vs 13.7:1).
Its district, Newton County School District, also runs Newton County High School (768 students).
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 Newton County Elementary School compares
Newton County 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 | 12.8:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.7% | ▼ 33% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 882 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
882
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% below the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 43% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.0%
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
$10,570
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 882 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 247 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 60 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
White 68.1%
African American 23.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.5%
Asian 1.6%
Two or More 1.6%
Largest group: White at 68.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.0, Newton County Elementary School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newton County School District, which includes Newton County Elementary School.
$10,570
Per student
-12%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 50.1%
Federal 26.3%
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 Newton County Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton County High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Newton County Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Similar other schools in Decatur
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~882 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Newton County Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Newton County Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Newton County 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 Newton County Elementary School
How many students attend Newton County Elementary School?
Newton County Elementary School has 882 students enrolled. It is a public school in Decatur, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Newton County Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Newton County Elementary School is 12.8:1, which is 4% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 18% 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 Newton County Elementary School?
53.7% of students at Newton County Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Newton County Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Newton County Elementary School is White at 68.1% of enrollment, in Decatur, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Newton County Elementary School?
Newton County Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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).
Is Newton County Elementary School a good school?
Newton County Elementary School earns 38/100 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 Newton County School District?
Besides Newton County Elementary School, Newton County School District also operates Newton County High School (768 students). See the Newton County 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.