Enrollment
944
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Pearl, MS
Pearl Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Pearl Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280352001354
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pearl Junior High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Pearl · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 72.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Pearl Junior High School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl Junior High School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Pearl, MS.
School address
District: Pearl Public School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280352001354 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
69.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.4%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pearl Junior High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pearl Junior High School
Pearl Junior High School is a higher-need, large middle school in Pearl, Mississippi, enrolling 944 students.
At 13.7:1, 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 72.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Mississippi, bigger than 91% of state schools at 944 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 101 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #51.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and African American (40%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 944 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.3% 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: 296 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 944 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 24 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Pearl Public School District also operates Pearl High School (1,278 students) and Pearl Lower Elementary School (763 students) alongside Pearl Junior 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 Junior High School compares
Pearl Junior 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 | 13.7:1 | ▲ 3% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.4% | ▼ 10% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 944 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
944
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 59% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.3%
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 944 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
144
in-school suspensions + 152 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 24 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 43.2%
African American 40.4%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 43.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.4, Pearl Junior High School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pearl Public School District, which includes Pearl Junior 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 Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pearl Lower Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northside Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pearl Upper School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pearl Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,278
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- 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 middle 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 (~944 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pearl Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Pearl Junior 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 Junior High School
How many students attend Pearl Junior High School?
Pearl Junior High School has 944 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Pearl, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pearl Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pearl Junior High School is 13.7:1, which is 3% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pearl Junior High School?
72.4% of students at Pearl Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pearl Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Pearl Junior High School is White at 43.2% of enrollment, in Pearl, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pearl Junior High School?
Pearl Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Pearl Junior High School rank among public schools in Pearl?
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl Junior High School ranks #2 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 Junior High School a good school?
Pearl Junior High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. It is also more 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 Pearl Public School District?
Besides Pearl Junior High School, Pearl Public School District also operates Pearl High School (1,278 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.