Enrollment
761
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 280243001241
West Lauderdale Elementary School — Meridian, MS
Federal NCES profile for West Lauderdale Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 64
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: Lauderdale 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)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.4:1 Mississippi avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.3%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Lauderdale Elementary 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 Lauderdale Elementary School reports 761 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 48.0 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: 41.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 49% below the Mississippi average and 20% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 761 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 14.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Lauderdale Co School Dist spends $11,502 per pupil district-wide, below the Mississippi average of $13,402 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 30.1% from local sources (property taxes), 50.9% from the state, and 19.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), 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 Lauderdale Elementary 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 | 41.3% | ▼ 49% | 80.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 761 | top 85% | — | — |
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
41.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 49% 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
14.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$11,502
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 761 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 761 Top 85% in Mississippi — larger than 15% of 877 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 48.0
Students per teacher 14.3:1 +7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 41.3% -49% vs state
NCES ID 280243001241
Student demographics
White 76.2%
African American 15.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
Two or More 3.4%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 76.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 761:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 14.5%
In-school suspensions 38
Out-of-school suspensions 13
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lauderdale Co School Dist, which includes West Lauderdale Elementary School.
$11,502
Per student
-14%
vs Mississippi
Avg $13,402
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 30.1%
State 50.9%
Federal 19.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 730
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Enrollment
- 608
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Enrollment
- 562
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
Similar other schools in Meridian
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Northeast Lauderdale Elementary
Standard public school
730 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Southeast Lauderdale Elementary
Standard public school
562 students 14:1 students per teacher
Clarkdale Elementary School
Standard public school
527 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
T J Harris Elementary
Standard public school
434 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
West Hills Elementary School
Standard public school
423 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Clarkdale High School
Standard public school
422 students 12:1 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 Lauderdale Elementary School
How many students attend West Lauderdale Elementary School?
West Lauderdale Elementary School has 761 students enrolled. It is a other school in Meridian, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Lauderdale Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Lauderdale Elementary 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 Lauderdale Elementary School?
41.3% of students at West Lauderdale Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Lauderdale Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at West Lauderdale Elementary School is White at 76.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Meridian, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Lauderdale Elementary School?
West Lauderdale Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.