Enrollment
173
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Petal, MS
Runnelstown Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Runnelstown Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280357000690
👥 S:T ratio 67
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Runnelstown Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Mississippi schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Petal · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.2:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 75.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Runnelstown Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 96% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Runnelstown Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Petal, MS.
School address
District: Perry Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280357000690 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.2:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.6%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Runnelstown Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Runnelstown Elementary School
Runnelstown Elementary School is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Petal, Mississippi, enrolling 173 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.2:1, Runnelstown Elementary School is leaner than roughly 96% of Mississippi schools and 38% under the state's 13.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 75.6% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of Mississippi schools, with 173 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 21 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #11.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 173 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Petal's elementary schools, it stands alongside Petal Elementary (636 students): Runnelstown Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.2:1 vs 13.8:1).
Perry Co School Dist also operates Perry Central High School (262 students) and South Perry Elementary School (234 students) alongside Runnelstown Elementary 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 Runnelstown Elementary School compares
Runnelstown Elementary 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 | 8.2:1 | ▼ 38% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.6% | ▼ 6% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 173 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.2:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
173
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
8.2:1
students per teacher
- 38% below state mean
Top 4% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.9%
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
$14,180
per pupil, district-wide
- above Mississippi avg of $11,990
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 173 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.9 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 78.6%
African American 13.3%
Two or More 5.2%
Asian 1.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.2%
Largest group: White at 78.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.1, Runnelstown Elementary School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Perry Co School Dist, which includes Runnelstown Elementary School.
$14,180
Per student
+18%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.8%
State 40.9%
Federal 28.3%
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 Runnelstown Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Perry Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Perry Central Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Runnelstown Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 262
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 234
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 178
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
Similar elementary schools in Petal
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~173 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Runnelstown Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Runnelstown Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Perry Co School Dist'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 Runnelstown Elementary School
How many students attend Runnelstown Elementary School?
Runnelstown Elementary School has 173 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Petal, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Runnelstown Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Runnelstown Elementary School is 8.2:1, which is 38% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 48% 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 Runnelstown Elementary School?
75.6% of students at Runnelstown Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Runnelstown Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Runnelstown Elementary School is White at 78.6% of enrollment, in Petal, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Runnelstown Elementary School?
Runnelstown Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Runnelstown Elementary School rank among public schools in Petal?
By Resource Investment Index, Runnelstown Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Petal, 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 Petal on the city page.
Is Runnelstown Elementary School a good school?
Runnelstown Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Perry Co School Dist?
Besides Runnelstown Elementary School, Perry Co School Dist also operates Perry Central High School (262 students), South Perry Elementary School (234 students), and Perry Central Middle School (178 students). See the Perry Co School Dist 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.