Enrollment
681
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Southaven, MS
Southaven Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Southaven Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280132000195
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southaven Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #5 of 7
- public schools in Southaven · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 78.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Southaven Elementary has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southaven Elementary ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Southaven, MS.
School address
District: Desoto Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280132000195 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.9%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southaven Elementary compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southaven Elementary
Southaven Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Southaven, Mississippi, enrolling 681 students.
At 12.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Mississippi median, within a few percentage points of the 13.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 78.9% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 681 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Among 105 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #87, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (55%) and White (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 681 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Desoto Co School Dist spends $8,778 per pupil, 27% below the Mississippi average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Desoto Co School Dist also operates Desoto Central High School (2,004 students) and Southaven High School (1,876 students) alongside Southaven 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 Southaven Elementary compares
Southaven 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 | 12.8:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.9% | ▼ 2% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 681 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
681
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 43% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
50.5%
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
$8,778
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 681 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
61
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.9 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
African American 55.1%
White 22.2%
Hispanic or Latino 13.2%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 55.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.3, Southaven Elementary is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desoto Co School Dist, which includes Southaven Elementary.
$8,778
Per student
-27%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 51.9%
Federal 14.3%
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 Southaven Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southaven High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hernando High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southaven Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desoto Central Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southaven Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,004
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,876
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,529
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,423
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,388
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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 (~681 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southaven Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Southaven Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Desoto 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 Southaven Elementary
How many students attend Southaven Elementary?
Southaven Elementary has 681 students enrolled. It is a public school in Southaven, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southaven Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Southaven Elementary is 12.8:1, which is 4% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 18% 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 Southaven Elementary?
78.9% of students at Southaven Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southaven Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Southaven Elementary is African American at 55.1% of enrollment, in Southaven, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southaven Elementary?
Southaven Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Southaven Elementary rank among public schools in Southaven?
By Resource Investment Index, Southaven Elementary ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Southaven, 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 Southaven on the city page.
Is Southaven Elementary a good school?
Southaven Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. 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 Desoto Co School Dist?
Besides Southaven Elementary, Desoto Co School Dist also operates Desoto Central High School (2,004 students), Southaven High School (1,876 students), and Hernando High School (1,529 students). See the Desoto 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.