How equitable is school funding in Mississippi?

The average funding equity score for Mississippi school districts is 51 out of 100, compared to the national average of 49. This score considers per-pupil spending, need-adjusted spending, funding source diversity, and student-teacher ratios.

What does the equity score measure?

The equity score (0-100) measures four dimensions: per-pupil spending level, need-adjusted spending (rewarding districts that spend more where poverty is higher), funding diversity (less reliance on local property taxes), and resource access (lower student-teacher ratios).

Mississippi · NCES F-33 finance data

School Funding Equity in Mississippi

146 districts ranked by how equitably school funding is distributed, scored from NCES F-33 school finance data covering districts in all 50 states.

Compiled by PlainSchools Editorial, Independent education-data publisher · June 10, 2026

The equity picture in one line

Leflore Legacy Academy ranks first in Mississippi for funding equity at 92/100, in a state whose districts average 51 against a national average of 49.

92/100
top score (Leflore Legacy Academy): $16,303
per-pupil spending in the top district: 27
districts scoring 70 or higher: 19
districts below 30

#	District	Enrollment	$/Pupil	Free Lunch	Local Rev %	Score
1	Leflore Legacy Academy	241	$16,303	100.0%	23.3%	92
2	Hollandale School Dist	548	$19,599	100.0%	21.2%	91
3	Okolona Separate School Dist	511	$14,008	100.0%	22.2%	86
4	North Bolivar Cons School Dist	780	$13,472	100.0%	18.0%	84
5	Newton Municipal School District	816	$13,262	100.0%	24.9%	82
6	Coffeeville School Dist	417	$14,970	100.0%	30.2%	82
7	Holmes County Consolidated Sd	2,544	$13,241	100.0%	16.8%	81
8	Leland School Dist	700	$17,003	100.0%	30.9%	81
9	Benton Co School Dist	961	$12,576	100.0%	15.4%	80
10	Quitman Co School Dist	852	$15,316	100.0%	24.5%	79
11	South Delta School District	604	$17,173	100.0%	32.4%	79
12	West Tallahatchie School District	513	$16,121	100.0%	31.4%	79
13	Marion Co School Dist	1,904	$12,259	100.0%	21.7%	78
14	West Bolivar Cons School Dist	938	$14,791	100.0%	30.4%	76
15	Moss Point Separate School Dist	1,569	$17,176	100.0%	32.7%	75
16	Attala Co School Dist	1,004	$15,811	100.0%	39.8%	75
17	Perry Co School Dist	933	$14,180	79.3%	30.8%	75
18	Coahoma County School District	988	$14,159	100.0%	34.0%	74
19	Kemper Co School Dist	884	$18,074	100.0%	47.4%	74
20	Amite County School District	853	$14,044	100.0%	32.1%	74
21	Philadelphia Public School Dist	829	$13,374	100.0%	31.9%	74
22	Forrest County School District	2,129	$13,333	81.4%	30.4%	72
23	Jefferson Co School Dist	1,063	$14,898	100.0%	20.5%	72
24	East Jasper Consolidated Sch Dist	755	$14,735	100.0%	42.5%	72
25	Winona-Montgomery Consolidated	1,144	$12,165	100.0%	20.5%	71
26	Calhoun Co School Dist	2,080	$11,560	76.6%	20.8%	70
27	Aberdeen School Dist	998	$13,734	100.0%	36.4%	70
28	Kosciusko School District	2,123	$12,056	77.5%	22.5%	69
29	Tunica County School District	1,671	$15,350	100.0%	47.7%	69
30	Ms School for Math and Science	231	$21,707	27.7%	-	68
31	Greenwood-Leflore Cons Sch District	4,030	$11,911	100.0%	25.0%	67
32	Sunflower Cty Cons School District	2,929	$13,004	100.0%	30.2%	67
33	East Tallahatchie Consol Sch Dist	853	$12,109	100.0%	22.4%	67
34	West Point Consolidated School Dist	2,609	$12,069	100.0%	25.8%	66
35	Mccomb School District	2,140	$13,191	100.0%	29.3%	66
36	Yazoo Co School Dist	1,320	$13,663	100.0%	39.5%	66
37	Franklin Co School Dist	1,211	$12,246	80.4%	24.7%	66
38	Prentiss Co School Dist	2,278	$10,786	75.0%	17.4%	65
39	Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist	1,672	$14,358	100.0%	38.7%	65
40	Pascagoula-Gautier School District	6,565	$14,596	100.0%	47.1%	64
41	South Tippah School Dist	2,485	$10,828	73.1%	19.2%	64
42	Carroll County School Dist	805	$11,633	100.0%	28.4%	64
43	Choctaw Co School Dist	1,230	$15,188	58.0%	48.3%	63
44	Walthall Co School Dist	1,684	$11,613	100.0%	27.8%	62
45	Jefferson Davis Co School Dist	1,235	$13,941	100.0%	30.7%	62
46	Natchez-Adams School District	2,842	$14,698	100.0%	35.3%	60
47	Covington County School District	2,609	$11,893	100.0%	29.7%	60
48	Clarksdale Municipal School Dist	2,118	$12,180	100.0%	17.8%	60
49	Claiborne Co School Dist	1,188	$12,676	100.0%	33.0%	60
50	Union Public School Dist	927	$11,102	60.5%	15.4%	59
51	Wayne Co School Dist	2,900	$11,621	100.0%	24.8%	58
52	Humphreys Co School Dist	1,207	$12,598	100.0%	23.7%	58
53	Holly Springs School Dist	1,025	$13,375	100.0%	32.6%	58
54	Columbus Municipal School Dist	3,090	$12,239	100.0%	33.6%	57
55	Leake Co School Dist	2,532	$10,530	100.0%	18.9%	57
56	Wilkinson Co School Dist	891	$12,466	100.0%	25.2%	57
57	North Panola School District	1,219	$11,765	100.0%	28.9%	56
58	Nettleton School Dist	1,112	$9,546	80.6%	19.6%	56
59	Columbia School District	1,646	$11,995	100.0%	30.3%	55
60	Noxubee County School District	1,397	$12,343	100.0%	24.6%	55
61	Reimagine Prep	514	$11,394	100.0%	26.2%	55
62	Greenville Public Schools	3,542	$11,536	100.0%	23.8%	54
63	Vicksburg Warren School Dist	6,862	$12,112	100.0%	41.0%	53
64	Picayune School District	3,431	$11,953	100.0%	27.2%	53
65	Tishomingo Co Sp Mun Sch Dist	2,897	$11,108	63.4%	25.8%	53
66	Louisville Municipal School Dist	2,523	$10,883	100.0%	29.3%	53
67	Western Line School District	1,632	$12,784	100.0%	40.9%	53
68	Pass Christian Public School Dist	1,944	$12,585	60.8%	46.0%	52
69	Lawrence Co School Dist	1,696	$11,530	80.7%	33.4%	52
70	Meridian Public Schools	4,614	$12,633	100.0%	34.9%	51
71	Biloxi Public School Dist	5,812	$12,135	71.0%	37.7%	50
72	Hattiesburg Public School Dist	3,667	$13,121	100.0%	42.2%	50
73	North Tippah School Dist	1,286	$9,888	74.1%	22.5%	50
74	Baldwyn School District	756	$12,759	65.8%	38.7%	50
75	Chickasaw Co School Dist	2,214	$9,753	76.9%	18.9%	49
76	South Pike School Dist	1,557	$11,301	100.0%	27.3%	49
77	Joel E Smilow Collegiate	569	$11,691	100.0%	28.7%	49
78	West Jasper Consolidated Schools	1,411	$11,598	87.4%	32.3%	48
79	Itawamba County School Dist	3,375	$9,612	67.1%	21.1%	47
80	North Pike School Dist	2,245	$10,281	100.0%	19.8%	47
81	Quitman School Dist	1,593	$11,576	99.9%	39.0%	47
82	Jackson Public School District	18,710	$12,155	100.0%	35.7%	45
83	Tupelo Public School Dist	7,132	$11,682	66.7%	42.5%	45
84	South Panola School District	4,313	$10,521	78.0%	26.4%	45
85	Pontotoc City Schools	2,302	$9,827	70.0%	19.6%	45
86	Greene County School District	1,640	$11,304	76.8%	29.7%	45
87	Joel E. Smillow Prep	577	$10,777	100.0%	30.7%	45
88	Simpson Co School Dist	3,008	$11,064	84.8%	27.8%	44
89	Newton County School District	1,688	$10,570	52.5%	23.6%	44
90	Water Valley School District	1,041	$9,966	72.7%	22.7%	44
91	Grenada School Dist	3,864	$10,470	74.0%	21.8%	43
92	Copiah Co School Dist	2,205	$9,856	100.0%	20.3%	43
93	Scott Co School Dist	3,989	$9,826	100.0%	15.2%	42
94	Yazoo City Municipal School Dist	2,029	$10,104	100.0%	12.7%	42
95	Alcorn School Dist	3,188	$10,326	64.0%	26.6%	41
96	Cleveland School Dist	2,818	$11,339	100.0%	37.4%	41
97	Brookhaven School Dist	2,586	$11,342	77.6%	36.2%	41
98	Amory School Dist	1,518	$10,625	60.7%	24.3%	41
99	Richton School Dist	597	$10,359	64.8%	18.9%	40
100	Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons Dist	4,894	$11,905	69.3%	43.0%	39
101	Monroe Co School Dist	2,119	$9,717	51.9%	26.3%	39
102	Tate Co School Dist	2,014	$10,486	76.6%	22.9%	39
103	Clarksdale Collegiate District	511	$9,907	100.0%	8.2%	39
104	Lee County School District	6,303	$10,279	71.4%	32.7%	38
105	Webster Co School Dist	1,739	$9,990	55.1%	22.1%	38
106	Enterprise School Dist	955	$10,087	58.0%	35.6%	38
107	Marshall Co School Dist	2,777	$9,988	100.0%	30.0%	37
108	Ambition Preparatory Charter School	395	$11,442	100.0%	31.5%	37
109	Madison Co School Dist	13,162	$11,127	48.5%	48.5%	36
110	Senatobia Municipal School Dist	1,666	$11,186	66.2%	30.7%	36
111	Hazlehurst City School District	1,368	$11,543	100.0%	33.9%	36
112	Forest Municipal School Dist	1,645	$10,331	100.0%	31.1%	34
113	Forrest County Ag High School	611	$11,457	67.1%	31.9%	34
114	Hancock Co School Dist	4,060	$10,539	63.3%	36.4%	33
115	Pontotoc Co School Dist	3,466	$9,404	64.6%	19.6%	33
116	Neshoba County School District	3,038	$8,958	66.9%	15.9%	33
117	Long Beach School Dist	2,929	$10,123	55.1%	25.2%	33
118	Lamar County School District	10,276	$10,063	56.2%	33.5%	32
119	Lauderdale Co School Dist	5,910	$10,345	49.6%	30.1%	32
120	Canton Public School Dist	3,166	$11,408	100.0%	38.0%	32
121	Laurel School District	2,712	$10,638	100.0%	48.2%	32
122	Stone Co School Dist	2,518	$9,978	65.0%	23.8%	32
123	Gulfport School Dist	6,113	$10,227	94.7%	36.9%	31
124	Hinds Co School Dist	4,968	$10,063	82.7%	44.0%	31
125	George Co School Dist	4,165	$9,405	66.9%	22.4%	30
126	Lafayette Co School Dist	2,872	$10,599	47.8%	38.0%	30
127	Lincoln County School District	2,795	$9,071	57.4%	24.0%	30
128	Poplarville Separate School Dist	1,909	$10,227	63.4%	28.9%	29
129	Rankin Co School Dist	18,720	$10,533	47.9%	42.5%	28
130	Lowndes Co School Dist	5,261	$10,038	66.1%	44.4%	28
131	Petal School Dist	4,392	$9,778	59.0%	30.0%	28
132	Union Co School Dist	2,980	$9,608	54.4%	24.3%	28
133	Smith Co School Dist	2,443	$9,730	73.0%	26.7%	27
134	New Albany Public Schools	2,114	$10,319	63.2%	30.7%	27
135	Midtown Public Charter School	284	$10,360	100.0%	34.1%	27
136	Jones Co School Dist	8,524	$8,887	70.1%	28.7%	24
137	Pearl Public School District	4,216	$10,050	69.7%	34.5%	23
138	Pearl River Co School Dist	3,284	$8,868	59.9%	26.2%	22
139	Booneville School Dist	1,321	$10,014	54.1%	29.2%	22
140	Harrison Co School Dist	14,355	$10,042	72.7%	36.5%	21
141	Corinth School Dist	2,490	$9,082	60.4%	25.6%	21
142	Ocean Springs School Dist	5,861	$9,612	41.5%	34.0%	19
143	Oxford School District	4,766	$10,968	44.1%	53.6%	17
144	Jackson Co School Dist	8,906	$10,221	54.8%	37.9%	16
145	Desoto Co School Dist	35,003	$8,778	51.4%	33.8%	11
146	Clinton Public School Dist	5,211	$8,818	47.8%	35.2%	8

How the Equity Score Works

The equity score (0-100) evaluates four dimensions of school funding fairness. According to the National Center for Education Statistics F-33 Finance Survey (FY 2021-22, released in 2024), which covers more than 17,000 districts nationwide, local property wealth drives most of the spending differences the score captures; our methodology documents each weight:

Per-Pupil Spending (0-25)

Higher spending relative to peers

Need-Adjusted Spending (0-25)

Spending weighted by poverty level, rewards districts that spend more where need is greatest

Funding Diversity (0-25)

Less reliance on local property taxes, more state/federal support

Resource Access (0-25)

Lower student-teacher ratios = more individualized attention

National Equity Rankings → ← Back to Mississippi

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.