Enrollment
206
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbus, MS
West Lowndes High School
Federal NCES profile for West Lowndes High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280273000531
👥 S:T ratio 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Lowndes High School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Mississippi schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #3 of 8
- schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7.4:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
West Lowndes High School has class sizes smaller than 98% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Lowndes High School ranks #3 of 8 schools in Columbus, MS.
School address
District: Lowndes Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280273000531 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.4:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-44% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Lowndes High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Lowndes High School
West Lowndes High School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Columbus, Mississippi, enrolling 206 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.4:1, West Lowndes High School is leaner than roughly 98% of Mississippi schools and 44% under the state's 13.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
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.
Enrollment of 206 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 155 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #51.
Its student body is predominantly African American (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 206 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Lowndes Co School Dist also operates New Hope Elementary School (1,191 students) and Caledonia Elementary School (1,070 students) alongside West Lowndes High 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 Lowndes High School compares
West Lowndes High 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 | 7.4:1 | ▼ 44% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 206 | top 90% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.4:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
206
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
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
7.4:1
students per teacher
- 44% below state mean
Top 2% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.3%
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
$10,038
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 206 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 95.1%
White 2.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.0%
Two or More 1.0%
Largest group: African American at 95.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.5, West Lowndes High School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lowndes Co School Dist, which includes West Lowndes High School.
$10,038
Per student
-16%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.4%
State 39.5%
Federal 16.2%
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 Lowndes High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hope Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Caledonia Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| New Hope High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Caledonia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| New Hope Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Lowndes High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,191
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,070
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 787
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 640
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~206 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Lowndes High School's federal record.
- Compare West Lowndes High School against another school. Compare schools
- Lowndes 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 Lowndes High School
How many students attend West Lowndes High School?
West Lowndes High School has 206 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbus, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Lowndes High School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Lowndes High School is 7.4:1, which is 44% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 53% 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 Lowndes High School?
100.0% of students at West Lowndes High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Lowndes High School?
The largest demographic group at West Lowndes High School is African American at 95.1% of enrollment, in Columbus, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Lowndes High School?
West Lowndes High School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does West Lowndes High School rank among schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, West Lowndes High School ranks #3 of 8 schools in Columbus, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is West Lowndes High School a good school?
West Lowndes High School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Mississippi schools. It is also less 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 Lowndes Co School Dist?
Besides West Lowndes High School, Lowndes Co School Dist also operates New Hope Elementary School (1,191 students), Caledonia Elementary School (1,070 students), and New Hope High School (787 students). See the Lowndes 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.