Enrollment
320
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Picayune, MS
South Side Lower Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for South Side Lower Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280363000632
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Side Lower Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Mississippi schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Picayune · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
South Side Lower Elementary School has class sizes larger than 88% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Side Lower Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Picayune, MS.
School address
District: Picayune School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280363000632 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Side Lower Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Side Lower Elementary School
South Side Lower Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Picayune, Mississippi, enrolling 320 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16:1 is larger than about 88% of Mississippi schools and 20% 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.
Enrollment of 320 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Among 299 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #225, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and African American (32%) (diversity index 56/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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.
Among Picayune's public schools, it stands alongside West Hancock Elementary School (349 students): South Side Lower Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16:1 vs 12:1).
Picayune School District also operates Picayune Memorial High School (940 students) and Picayune Junior High School (465 students) alongside South Side Lower 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 South Side Lower Elementary School compares
South Side Lower 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 | 16:1 | ▲ 20% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 320 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
320
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
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
16:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 88% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.1%
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
$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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.6 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 57.5%
African American 31.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%
Two or More 3.8%
Largest group: White at 57.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.3, South Side Lower Elementary School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Picayune School District, which includes South Side Lower Elementary 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 South Side Lower Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picayune Memorial High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Picayune Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Side Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Roseland Park Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nicholson Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Side Lower Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 940
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- 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
Similar other schools in Picayune
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~320 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Side Lower Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare South Side Lower Elementary 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 South Side Lower Elementary School
How many students attend South Side Lower Elementary School?
South Side Lower Elementary School has 320 students enrolled. It is a public school in Picayune, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Side Lower Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Side Lower Elementary School is 16:1, which is 20% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Side Lower Elementary School?
100.0% of students at South Side Lower Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Side Lower Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at South Side Lower Elementary School is White at 57.5% of enrollment, in Picayune, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Side Lower Elementary School?
South Side Lower Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Side Lower Elementary School rank among schools in Picayune?
By Resource Investment Index, South Side Lower Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 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 schools in Picayune on the city page.
Is South Side Lower Elementary School a good school?
South Side Lower Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 South Side Lower Elementary School, Picayune School District also operates Picayune Memorial High School (940 students), Picayune Junior High School (465 students), and West Side Elementary School (444 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.