Enrollment
459
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waynesboro, MS
Wayne Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Wayne Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280453000849
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wayne Central Elementary School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Waynesboro · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Wayne Central Elementary School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wayne Central Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Waynesboro, MS.
School address
District: Wayne Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280453000849 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wayne Central Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wayne Central Elementary School
Wayne Central Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Waynesboro, Mississippi, enrolling 459 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
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.
With 459 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 258 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
11.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 36.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Waynesboro's elementary schools, it stands alongside Waynesboro Riverview Ele School (491 students): Wayne Central Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.4:1 vs 13.6:1).
Wayne Co School Dist also operates Wayne County High School (775 students) and Waynesboro Riverview Ele School (491 students) alongside Wayne Central 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 Wayne Central Elementary School compares
Wayne Central 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 459 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
459
Bigger than 56% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 37% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.8%
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
$11,621
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
0
in-school suspensions + 79 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.2 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 81.3%
White 12.4%
Two or More 3.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 81.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.2, Wayne Central 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 Wayne Co School Dist, which includes Wayne Central Elementary School.
$11,621
Per student
-3%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.8%
State 39.2%
Federal 36.1%
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 Wayne Central Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waynesboro Riverview Ele School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clara Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buckatunna Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beat Four Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wayne Central Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 775
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 416
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar elementary schools in Waynesboro
3 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 (~459 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wayne Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Wayne Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Wayne 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 Wayne Central Elementary School
How many students attend Wayne Central Elementary School?
Wayne Central Elementary School has 459 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waynesboro, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wayne Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wayne Central Elementary School is 12.4:1, which is 7% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 21% 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 Wayne Central Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Wayne Central Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wayne Central Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Wayne Central Elementary School is African American at 81.3% of enrollment, in Waynesboro, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wayne Central Elementary School?
Wayne Central Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (higher 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 Wayne Central Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Waynesboro?
By Resource Investment Index, Wayne Central Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Waynesboro, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Waynesboro on the city page.
Is Wayne Central Elementary School a good school?
Wayne Central Elementary School earns 64/100 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 Wayne Co School Dist?
Besides Wayne Central Elementary School, Wayne Co School Dist also operates Wayne County High School (775 students), Waynesboro Riverview Ele School (491 students), and Clara Elementary School (418 students). See the Wayne 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.