Enrollment
349
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Picayune, MS
West Hancock Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for West Hancock Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280174001338
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Hancock Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Picayune · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12:1
- students per teacher
- 74.2%
- free-lunch eligible
West Hancock Elementary School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Hancock Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Picayune, MS.
School address
District: Hancock Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280174001338 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.2%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Hancock Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Hancock Elementary School
West Hancock Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Picayune, Mississippi, enrolling 349 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 74.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 349 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 124 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #57.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 349 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.8% 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 South Side Lower Elementary School (320 students): West Hancock Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12:1 vs 16:1).
Hancock Co School Dist also operates Hancock High School (1,184 students) and Hancock Middle School (884 students) alongside West Hancock 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 West Hancock Elementary School compares
West Hancock 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 10% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.2% | ▼ 8% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 349 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
349
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 31% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
28.7%
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
$10,539
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 349 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.5 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 87.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
African American 3.7%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 87.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.1, West Hancock 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 Hancock Co School Dist, which includes West Hancock Elementary School.
$10,539
Per student
-12%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.4%
State 43.7%
Federal 19.8%
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 West Hancock Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hancock Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Hancock Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Hancock Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hancock North Central Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Hancock Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 884
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 633
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 480
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~349 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Hancock Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare West Hancock Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hancock 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 West Hancock Elementary School
How many students attend West Hancock Elementary School?
West Hancock Elementary School has 349 students enrolled. It is a public school in Picayune, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Hancock Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Hancock Elementary School is 12:1, which is 10% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 24% 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 West Hancock Elementary School?
74.2% of students at West Hancock Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Hancock Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at West Hancock Elementary School is White at 87.4% of enrollment, in Picayune, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Hancock Elementary School?
West Hancock Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical 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 West Hancock Elementary School rank among schools in Picayune?
By Resource Investment Index, West Hancock Elementary School ranks #3 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 West Hancock Elementary School a good school?
West Hancock Elementary School earns 45/100 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 Hancock Co School Dist?
Besides West Hancock Elementary School, Hancock Co School Dist also operates Hancock High School (1,184 students), Hancock Middle School (884 students), and East Hancock Elementary School (633 students). See the Hancock 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.