Enrollment
1,414
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Carriere, MS
Pearl River Central Elementar
Federal NCES profile for Pearl River Central Elementar, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280354000686
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pearl River Central Elementar earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. It is also one of the largest schools in Mississippi.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Carriere · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 64.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Pearl River Central Elementar has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl River Central Elementar ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Carriere, MS.
School address
District: Pearl River Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280354000686 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
100.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pearl River Central Elementar compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pearl River Central Elementar
Pearl River Central Elementar is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Carriere, Mississippi, enrolling 1,414 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 64.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Mississippi, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,414 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 53 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #14.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pearl River Co School Dist spends $8,868 per pupil, 26% below the Mississippi average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Pearl River Co School Dist also operates Pearl River Central High School (952 students) and Pearl River Central Junior High (762 students) alongside Pearl River Central Elementar.
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 River Central Elementar compares
Pearl River Central Elementar on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.1:1 | ▲ 6% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.0% | ▼ 20% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,414 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,414
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 66% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.3%
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
$8,868
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
110
in-school suspensions + 42 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.7 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.
Student demographics
White 84.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Two or More 4.6%
African American 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 84.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.2, Pearl River Central Elementar is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pearl River Co School Dist, which includes Pearl River Central Elementar.
$8,868
Per student
-26%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.2%
State 55.6%
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 River Central Elementar Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl River Central High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pearl River Central Junior High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pearl River Central Elementar's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 952
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~1,414 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pearl River Central Elementar's federal record.
- Compare Pearl River Central Elementar against another school. Compare schools
- Pearl River Co School Dist'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 River Central Elementar
How many students attend Pearl River Central Elementar?
Pearl River Central Elementar has 1,414 students enrolled. It is a public school in Carriere, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pearl River Central Elementar?
The student-teacher ratio at Pearl River Central Elementar is 14.1:1, which is 6% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pearl River Central Elementar?
64.0% of students at Pearl River Central Elementar are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pearl River Central Elementar?
The largest demographic group at Pearl River Central Elementar is White at 84.2% of enrollment, in Carriere, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pearl River Central Elementar?
Pearl River Central Elementar has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Pearl River Central Elementar rank among public schools in Carriere?
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl River Central Elementar ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Carriere, 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 Carriere on the city page.
Is Pearl River Central Elementar a good school?
Pearl River Central Elementar earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. 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 River Co School Dist?
Besides Pearl River Central Elementar, Pearl River Co School Dist also operates Pearl River Central High School (952 students) and Pearl River Central Junior High (762 students). See the Pearl River Co School Dist 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.