Enrollment
448
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Purvis, MS
Purvis Lower Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Purvis Lower Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280240000968
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Purvis Lower Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Purvis · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- students per teacher
- 58.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Purvis Lower Elementary has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Purvis Lower Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Purvis, MS.
School address
District: Lamar County School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280240000968 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.6%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Purvis Lower Elementary compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Purvis Lower Elementary
Purvis Lower Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Purvis, Mississippi, enrolling 448 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 58.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 448 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 137 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #17.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 448 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 18.9% 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 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Lamar County School District also operates Oak Grove High School (1,750 students) and Oak Grove Middle School (1,160 students) alongside Purvis Lower Elementary.
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 Purvis Lower Elementary compares
Purvis Lower Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.1:1 | ▼ 9% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.6% | ▼ 27% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 448 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
448
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.6%
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
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 32% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,063
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 448 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 79.9%
African American 11.4%
Two or More 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
Largest group: White at 79.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.4, Purvis Lower Elementary is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lamar County School District, which includes Purvis Lower Elementary.
$10,063
Per student
-16%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.5%
State 47.5%
Federal 18.9%
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 Purvis Lower Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Grove High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Grove Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bellevue Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sumrall Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Longleaf Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Purvis Lower Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,750
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,145
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 787
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other 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 (~448 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Purvis Lower Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Purvis Lower Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lamar County 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 Purvis Lower Elementary
How many students attend Purvis Lower Elementary?
Purvis Lower Elementary has 448 students enrolled. It is a public school in Purvis, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Purvis Lower Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Purvis Lower Elementary is 12.1:1, which is 9% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Purvis Lower Elementary?
58.6% of students at Purvis Lower Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Purvis Lower Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Purvis Lower Elementary is White at 79.9% of enrollment, in Purvis, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Purvis Lower Elementary?
Purvis Lower Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Purvis Lower Elementary rank among public schools in Purvis?
By Resource Investment Index, Purvis Lower Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Purvis, 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 Purvis on the city page.
Is Purvis Lower Elementary a good school?
Purvis Lower Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. 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 Lamar County School District?
Besides Purvis Lower Elementary, Lamar County School District also operates Oak Grove High School (1,750 students), Oak Grove Middle School (1,160 students), and Bellevue Elementary School (1,145 students). See the Lamar County 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.