Enrollment
608
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pearl, MS
Pearl Upper School
Federal NCES profile for Pearl Upper School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280352001181
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pearl Upper School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Mississippi schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Pearl · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 74.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Pearl Upper School has class sizes larger than 71% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl Upper School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Pearl, MS.
School address
District: Pearl Public School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280352001181 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.4%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pearl Upper School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pearl Upper School
Pearl Upper School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Pearl, Mississippi, enrolling 608 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 74.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 608 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 149 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #95.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and African American (35%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 608 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.0% 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.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Pearl Public School District also operates Pearl High School (1,278 students) and Pearl Junior High School (944 students) alongside Pearl Upper 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 Upper School compares
Pearl Upper 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 9% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.4% | ▼ 8% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 608 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
608
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 71% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.0%
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 608 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 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 46.2%
African American 35.2%
Hispanic or Latino 12.0%
Two or More 5.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 46.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.6, Pearl Upper 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 Upper 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 Upper School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pearl Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pearl Lower Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northside Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pearl Upper 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
- 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
Similar elementary 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 (~608 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pearl Upper School's federal record.
- Compare Pearl Upper 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 Upper School
How many students attend Pearl Upper School?
Pearl Upper School has 608 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pearl, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pearl Upper School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pearl Upper School is 14.5:1, which is 9% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pearl Upper School?
74.4% of students at Pearl Upper School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pearl Upper School?
The largest demographic group at Pearl Upper School is White at 46.2% of enrollment, in Pearl, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pearl Upper School?
Pearl Upper School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Upper School rank among public schools in Pearl?
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl Upper School ranks #3 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 Upper School a good school?
Pearl Upper School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Mississippi schools. 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 Upper School, Pearl Public School District also operates Pearl High School (1,278 students), Pearl Junior High School (944 students), and Pearl Lower Elementary School (763 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.