Enrollment
712
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pontotoc, MS
Pontotoc High School
Federal NCES profile for Pontotoc High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 280369000706
👥 S:T ratio 37
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pontotoc High School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Mississippi schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #7 of 7
- public schools in Pontotoc · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.8:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 65.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Pontotoc High School has class sizes larger than 86% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pontotoc High School ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Pontotoc, MS.
School address
District: Pontotoc City Schools · Mississippi
NCES ID 280369000706 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.3%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pontotoc High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pontotoc High School
Pontotoc High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Pontotoc, Mississippi, enrolling 712 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.8:1 is larger than about 86% of Mississippi schools and 19% above the 13.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 65.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 712 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 162 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #149, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and African American (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 356 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 159 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 712 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Pontotoc City Schools also operates Pontotoc Elementary School (657 students) and Pontotoc Junior High School (361 students) alongside Pontotoc 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 Pontotoc High School compares
Pontotoc 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 19% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.3% | ▼ 19% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 712 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
712
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 86% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.1%
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
$9,827
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 356 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
108
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.3 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 46.9%
African American 27.1%
Hispanic or Latino 23.6%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 46.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.0, Pontotoc High School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pontotoc City Schools, which includes Pontotoc High School.
$9,827
Per student
-18%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.6%
State 56.0%
Federal 24.4%
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 Pontotoc High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontotoc Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pontotoc Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| D T Cox Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pontotoc Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pontotoc High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 361
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 354
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 316
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~712 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pontotoc High School's federal record.
- Compare Pontotoc High School against another school. Compare schools
- Pontotoc City Schools'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 Pontotoc High School
How many students attend Pontotoc High School?
Pontotoc High School has 712 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pontotoc, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pontotoc High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pontotoc High School is 15.8:1, which is 19% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pontotoc High School?
65.3% of students at Pontotoc High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pontotoc High School?
The largest demographic group at Pontotoc High School is White at 46.9% of enrollment, in Pontotoc, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pontotoc High School?
Pontotoc High School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Pontotoc High School rank among public schools in Pontotoc?
By Resource Investment Index, Pontotoc High School ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Pontotoc, 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 Pontotoc on the city page.
Is Pontotoc High School a good school?
Pontotoc High School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Pontotoc City Schools?
Besides Pontotoc High School, Pontotoc City Schools also operates Pontotoc Elementary School (657 students), Pontotoc Junior High School (361 students), and D T Cox Elementary School (354 students). See the Pontotoc City Schools 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.