Enrollment
1,278
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pearl, MS
Pearl High School
Federal NCES profile for Pearl High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 280352000003
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pearl High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Mississippi schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Mississippi.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Pearl · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 65.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Pearl High School has class sizes larger than 89% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Pearl, MS.
School address
District: Pearl Public School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280352000003 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
79.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.3%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pearl High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pearl High School
Pearl High School is a higher-need, large high school in Pearl, Mississippi, enrolling 1,278 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.2:1 is larger than about 89% of Mississippi schools and 22% above the 13.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 65.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Mississippi, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,278 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 62 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #59, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and White (42%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1278 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 362 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,278 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 11 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Pearl Public School District also operates Pearl Junior High School (944 students) and Pearl Lower Elementary School (763 students) alongside Pearl High 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 Pearl High School compares
Pearl High 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 22% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.3% | ▼ 19% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,278 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,278
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 89% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.0%
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
$10,050
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 1278 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
223
in-school suspensions + 139 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 11 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 42.6%
White 42.3%
Hispanic or Latino 10.2%
Two or More 3.4%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 42.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.8, Pearl High School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pearl Public School District, which includes Pearl High School.
$10,050
Per student
-16%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 47.4%
Federal 18.2%
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 Pearl High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pearl Lower Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northside Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pearl Upper School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pearl High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 944
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 608
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high 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 (~1,278 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pearl High School's federal record.
- Compare Pearl High School against another school. Compare schools
- Pearl Public 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 Pearl High School
How many students attend Pearl High School?
Pearl High School has 1,278 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pearl, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pearl High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pearl High School is 16.2:1, which is 22% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pearl High School?
65.3% of students at Pearl High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pearl High School?
The largest demographic group at Pearl High School is African American at 42.6% of enrollment, in Pearl, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pearl High School?
Pearl High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Pearl High School rank among public schools in Pearl?
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Pearl, 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 Pearl on the city page.
Is Pearl High School a good school?
Pearl High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Mississippi schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Mississippi. 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 Pearl Public School District?
Besides Pearl High School, Pearl Public School District also operates Pearl Junior High School (944 students), Pearl Lower Elementary School (763 students), and Northside Elementary School (665 students). See the Pearl Public 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.