Enrollment
952
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Carriere, MS
Pearl River Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Pearl River Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 280354001070
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pearl River Central High School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Mississippi schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Carriere · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.4:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 54.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Pearl River Central High School has class sizes larger than 82% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl River Central High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Carriere, MS.
School address
District: Pearl River Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280354001070 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.9%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pearl River Central High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pearl River Central High School
Pearl River Central High School is a higher-need, large high school in Carriere, Mississippi, enrolling 952 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 54.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Mississippi, bigger than 92% of state schools at 952 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 118 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #108, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 317 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.6% 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.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Pearl River Co School Dist also operates Pearl River Central Elementar (1,414 students) and Pearl River Central Junior High (762 students) alongside Pearl River Central 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 River Central High School compares
Pearl River Central 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 16% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.9% | ▼ 32% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 952 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
952
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 82% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
55.6%
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
97
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 85.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
African American 4.1%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 85.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.3, Pearl River Central High School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pearl River Co School Dist, which includes Pearl River Central High School.
$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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl River Central Elementar | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pearl River Central Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pearl River Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,414
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~952 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pearl River Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Pearl River Central High School 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 High School
How many students attend Pearl River Central High School?
Pearl River Central High School has 952 students enrolled. It is a high school in Carriere, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pearl River Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pearl River Central High School is 15.4:1, which is 16% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pearl River Central High School?
54.9% of students at Pearl River Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pearl River Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Pearl River Central High School is White at 85.5% of enrollment, in Carriere, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pearl River Central High School?
Pearl River Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 River Central High School rank among public schools in Carriere?
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl River Central High School ranks #3 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 High School a good school?
Pearl River Central High School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of 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 River Co School Dist?
Besides Pearl River Central High School, Pearl River Co School Dist also operates Pearl River Central Elementar (1,414 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.