- Enrollment
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Petal, MS
Petal Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Petal Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280353001330
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Petal Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 59.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 636
- students enrolled
Petal Elementary has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Petal School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280353001330 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
-3 students YoY
Petal Elementary held near 631 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-3 headcount).
Teacher FTE added 46.2 → 48.5 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Steady CCD campus
-3 students YoY 280353001330 · Petal, MS Elementary · MID · TRAD
636 enr · 13.8:1 · 59.1% lunch · RII 49
Nearest enrollment peer: Petal High School (1,324 students)
Petal Elementary held near 631 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-3 headcount). Teacher FTE added 46.2 → 48.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Mississippi schools → · Find another →
Petal Elementary in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Petal High Sch
Petal High School
1,324 students
- Petal Primary
Petal Primary School
1,016 students
- Petal Middle S
Petal Middle School
645 students
- This school
Petal Elementary
636 students
- Petal Upper El
Petal Upper Elementary School
632 students
What this shows Petal Elementary reports 636 students on the CCD universe file.
How Petal Elementary compares
Petal Elementary held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.1% | ▼ 27% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 636 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
636
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
59.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 61% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,258
per pupil, district-wide
- below Mississippi avg of $13,683
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 636 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 68.6%
African American 16.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.7%
Two or More 7.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 68.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.3, Petal Elementary is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
District finance for Petal School Dist reports $11,258 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Petal Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petal High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Petal Primary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Petal Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Petal Upper Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Petal Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,016
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 645
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 632
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~636 students)
Frequently asked questions about Petal Elementary
How many students attend Petal Elementary?
Petal Elementary has 636 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Petal, MS. CCD year-over-year: 634 (2022-23) → 631 (2023-24), nearly flat (-3).
What is the student-teacher ratio at Petal Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Petal Elementary is 13.8:1, which is 4% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Petal Elementary?
59.1% of students at Petal Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Petal Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Petal Elementary is White at 68.6% of enrollment, in Petal, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Petal Elementary?
Petal Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
What other schools are in Petal School Dist?
Besides Petal Elementary, Petal School Dist also operates Petal High School (1,324 students), Petal Primary School (1,016 students), and Petal Middle School (645 students). See the Petal School Dist district page for the complete list.