Enrollment
940
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Picayune, MS
Picayune Memorial High School
Federal NCES profile for Picayune Memorial High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 280363000695
👥 S:T ratio 23
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Picayune Memorial High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Mississippi schools.
- #8 of 10
- public schools in Picayune · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.2:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Picayune Memorial High School has class sizes larger than 97% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Picayune Memorial High School ranks #8 of 10 public schools in Picayune, MS.
School address
District: Picayune School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280363000695 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+44% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Picayune Memorial High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Picayune Memorial High School
Picayune Memorial High School is a high-poverty, large high school in Picayune, Mississippi, enrolling 940 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.2:1 is larger than about 97% of Mississippi schools and 44% above the 13.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Mississippi, bigger than 91% of state schools at 940 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 50 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #31.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and African American (30%) (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 235 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 34.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 417 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 940 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 41 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Picayune School District also operates Picayune Junior High School (465 students) and West Side Elementary School (444 students) alongside Picayune Memorial 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 Picayune Memorial High School compares
Picayune Memorial 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 | 19.2:1 | ▲ 44% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 940 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
940
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 44% above state mean
Top 97% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.6%
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
$11,953
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 235 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
268
in-school suspensions + 149 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 28.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 44.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 41 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 59.5%
African American 29.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Two or More 2.2%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 59.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.1, Picayune Memorial High School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Picayune School District, which includes Picayune Memorial High School.
$11,953
Per student
0%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.2%
State 38.7%
Federal 34.0%
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 Picayune Memorial High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picayune Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Side Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roseland Park Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Nicholson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Side Lower Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Picayune Memorial High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 444
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 324
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~940 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Picayune Memorial High School's federal record.
- Compare Picayune Memorial High School against another school. Compare schools
- Picayune 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 Picayune Memorial High School
How many students attend Picayune Memorial High School?
Picayune Memorial High School has 940 students enrolled. It is a high school in Picayune, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Picayune Memorial High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Picayune Memorial High School is 19.2:1, which is 44% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Picayune Memorial High School?
100.0% of students at Picayune Memorial High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Picayune Memorial High School?
The largest demographic group at Picayune Memorial High School is White at 59.5% of enrollment, in Picayune, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Picayune Memorial High School?
Picayune Memorial High School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Picayune Memorial High School rank among public schools in Picayune?
By Resource Investment Index, Picayune Memorial High School ranks #8 of 10 public schools in Picayune, 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 Picayune on the city page.
Is Picayune Memorial High School a good school?
Picayune Memorial High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Picayune School District?
Besides Picayune Memorial High School, Picayune School District also operates Picayune Junior High School (465 students), West Side Elementary School (444 students), and Roseland Park Elementary School (370 students). See the Picayune 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.