Enrollment
1,587
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 280228000451
West Jones High School — Laurel, MS
Federal NCES profile for West Jones High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 27/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 37
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Jones Co School Dist · Mississippi
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
106.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.4:1 Mississippi avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.8%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Jones High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
West Jones High School reports 1,587 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 106.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% above the Mississippi state mean of 13.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 10% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 64.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 20% below the Mississippi average and 25% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 529 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 25.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Jones Co School Dist spends $9,887 per pupil district-wide, below the Mississippi average of $13,402 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 28.7% from local sources (property taxes), 51.6% from the state, and 19.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How West Jones High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Mississippi state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▲ 7% | 13.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.8% | ▼ 20% | 80.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,587 | top 99% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
64.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 20% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
— 7% above state mean
Top 67% in Mississippi — lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
25.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$9,887
per pupil, district-wide
— below Mississippi avg of $13,402
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 529 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
364
in-school suspensions + 111 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 22.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,587 Top 99% in Mississippi — larger than 1% of 877 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 106.0
Students per teacher 14.3:1 +7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 64.8% -20% vs state
NCES ID 280228000451
Student demographics
White 49.9%
Hispanic or Latino 23.7%
African American 23.1%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 49.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 6
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 529:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 25.2%
In-school suspensions 364
Out-of-school suspensions 111
Expulsions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jones Co School Dist, which includes West Jones High School.
$9,887
Per student
-26%
vs Mississippi
Avg $13,402
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 28.7%
State 51.6%
Federal 19.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,300
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,129
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,114
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Enrollment
- 938
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Enrollment
- 854
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
Similar other schools in Laurel
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
West Jones Elementary School
Standard public school
1,114 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Northeast Jones High School
Standard public school
938 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
North Jones Elementary School
Standard public school
854 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
East Jones Elementary School
Standard public school
794 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Glade Elementary School
Standard public school
423 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about West Jones High School
How many students attend West Jones High School?
West Jones High School has 1,587 students enrolled. It is a other school in Laurel, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Jones High School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Jones High School is 14.3:1, which is 7% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.4:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Jones High School?
64.8% of students at West Jones High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Jones High School?
The largest demographic group at West Jones High School is White at 49.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Laurel, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Jones High School?
West Jones High School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.