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, Education-data publisher · August 26, 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): $16,975
per-pupil spending in the top district: 26
districts scoring 70 or higher: 22
districts below 30

#	District	Enrollment	$/Pupil	Free Lunch	Local Rev %	Score
1	Leflore Legacy Academy	241	$16,975	100.0%	23.3%	92
2	Hollandale School Dist	548	$19,027	100.0%	21.2%	91
3	Okolona Separate School Dist	511	$15,278	100.0%	22.2%	86
4	North Bolivar Cons School Dist	780	$15,277	100.0%	18.0%	85
5	Holmes County Consolidated Sd	2,544	$15,056	100.0%	16.8%	83
6	Leland School Dist	700	$17,804	100.0%	30.9%	81
7	West Tallahatchie School District	513	$19,014	100.0%	31.4%	80
8	Coffeeville School Dist	417	$15,679	100.0%	30.2%	80
9	Benton Co School Dist	961	$13,860	100.0%	15.4%	79
10	Amite County School District	853	$17,340	100.0%	32.1%	79
11	Coahoma County School District	988	$16,320	100.0%	34.0%	77
12	Newton Municipal School District	816	$13,799	100.0%	24.9%	77
13	South Delta School District	604	$16,904	100.0%	32.4%	77
14	Marion Co School Dist	1,904	$13,221	100.0%	21.7%	76
15	Moss Point Separate School Dist	1,569	$17,841	100.0%	32.7%	75
16	West Bolivar Cons School Dist	938	$15,499	100.0%	30.4%	74
17	Kemper Co School Dist	884	$20,206	100.0%	47.4%	74
18	East Jasper Consolidated Sch Dist	755	$16,940	100.0%	42.5%	74
19	Calhoun Co School Dist	2,080	$13,180	76.6%	20.8%	73
20	Attala Co School Dist	1,004	$15,916	100.0%	39.8%	73
21	Perry Co School Dist	933	$15,310	79.3%	30.8%	73
22	Quitman Co School Dist	852	$14,846	100.0%	24.5%	72
23	Forrest County School District	2,129	$14,536	81.4%	30.4%	71
24	Aberdeen School Dist	998	$15,579	100.0%	36.4%	71
25	Yazoo Co School Dist	1,320	$15,792	100.0%	39.5%	70
26	East Tallahatchie Consol Sch Dist	853	$13,925	100.0%	22.4%	70
27	Greenwood-Leflore Cons Sch District	4,030	$13,241	100.0%	25.0%	69
28	Kosciusko School District	2,123	$13,195	77.5%	22.5%	69
29	Tunica County School District	1,671	$16,676	100.0%	47.7%	69
30	Philadelphia Public School Dist	829	$13,866	100.0%	31.9%	69
31	West Point Consolidated School Dist	2,609	$13,657	100.0%	25.8%	68
32	Mccomb School District	2,140	$15,268	100.0%	29.3%	68
33	Winona-Montgomery Consolidated	1,144	$13,101	100.0%	20.5%	68
34	Jefferson Co School Dist	1,063	$15,061	100.0%	20.5%	68
35	Sunflower Cty Cons School District	2,929	$14,163	100.0%	30.2%	67
36	Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist	1,672	$16,298	100.0%	38.7%	67
37	Reimagine Prep	514	$14,016	100.0%	26.2%	67
38	Ms School for Math and Science	231	$22,403	27.7%	-	66
39	Clarksdale Municipal School Dist	2,118	$14,773	100.0%	17.8%	65
40	Carroll County School Dist	805	$12,897	100.0%	28.4%	65
41	Pascagoula-Gautier School District	6,565	$15,771	100.0%	47.1%	64
42	Jefferson Davis Co School Dist	1,235	$15,747	100.0%	30.7%	64
43	Franklin Co School Dist	1,211	$13,050	80.4%	24.7%	63
44	Humphreys Co School Dist	1,207	$15,062	100.0%	23.7%	63
45	Claiborne Co School Dist	1,188	$14,923	100.0%	33.0%	63
46	South Tippah School Dist	2,485	$11,762	73.1%	19.2%	62
47	Prentiss Co School Dist	2,278	$11,568	75.0%	17.4%	62
48	Walthall Co School Dist	1,684	$12,756	100.0%	27.8%	62
49	Choctaw Co School Dist	1,230	$16,120	58.0%	48.3%	61
50	Nettleton School Dist	1,112	$10,989	80.6%	19.6%	60
51	Columbus Municipal School Dist	3,090	$13,944	100.0%	33.6%	58
52	Covington County School District	2,609	$12,776	100.0%	29.7%	58
53	Leake Co School Dist	2,532	$11,786	100.0%	18.9%	58
54	Louisville Municipal School Dist	2,523	$12,515	100.0%	29.3%	57
55	North Panola School District	1,219	$13,138	100.0%	28.9%	57
56	Holly Springs School Dist	1,025	$14,958	100.0%	32.6%	57
57	Wayne Co School Dist	2,900	$12,582	100.0%	24.8%	56
58	Wilkinson Co School Dist	891	$13,714	100.0%	25.2%	56
59	Natchez-Adams School District	2,842	$14,859	100.0%	35.3%	55
60	Vicksburg Warren School Dist	6,862	$13,723	100.0%	41.0%	54
61	Greenville Public Schools	3,542	$12,612	100.0%	23.8%	54
62	Union Public School Dist	927	$11,640	60.5%	15.4%	54
63	Lawrence Co School Dist	1,696	$12,783	80.7%	33.4%	53
64	Noxubee County School District	1,397	$13,260	100.0%	24.6%	53
65	Meridian Public Schools	4,614	$14,308	100.0%	34.9%	52
66	Itawamba County School Dist	3,375	$11,183	67.1%	21.1%	52
67	Chickasaw Co School Dist	2,214	$11,195	76.9%	18.9%	52
68	Pass Christian Public School Dist	1,944	$14,145	60.8%	46.0%	52
69	Western Line School District	1,632	$13,954	100.0%	40.9%	52
70	North Tippah School Dist	1,286	$11,112	74.1%	22.5%	52
71	Picayune School District	3,431	$12,883	100.0%	27.2%	51
72	Tishomingo Co Sp Mun Sch Dist	2,897	$11,853	63.4%	25.8%	51
73	Clarksdale Collegiate District	511	$12,366	100.0%	8.2%	51
74	Hattiesburg Public School Dist	3,667	$14,215	100.0%	42.2%	50
75	South Pike School Dist	1,557	$12,390	100.0%	27.3%	50
76	Columbia School District	1,646	$12,423	100.0%	30.3%	49
77	Quitman School Dist	1,593	$13,032	99.9%	39.0%	49
78	Baldwyn School District	756	$13,962	65.8%	38.7%	49
79	Biloxi Public School Dist	5,812	$13,206	71.0%	37.7%	48
80	Greene County School District	1,640	$12,818	76.8%	29.7%	48
81	Tupelo Public School Dist	7,132	$13,155	66.7%	42.5%	47
82	Yazoo City Municipal School Dist	2,029	$11,705	100.0%	12.7%	47
83	South Panola School District	4,313	$11,681	78.0%	26.4%	46
84	Pontotoc City Schools	2,302	$10,902	70.0%	19.6%	46
85	Jackson Public School District	18,710	$13,713	100.0%	35.7%	45
86	Cleveland School Dist	2,818	$12,775	100.0%	37.4%	45
87	North Pike School Dist	2,245	$11,238	100.0%	19.8%	45
88	Newton County School District	1,688	$11,887	52.5%	23.6%	45
89	Joel E Smilow Collegiate	569	$12,513	100.0%	28.7%	45
90	Grenada School Dist	3,864	$11,666	74.0%	21.8%	44
91	Simpson Co School Dist	3,008	$12,235	84.8%	27.8%	44
92	Water Valley School District	1,041	$10,907	72.7%	22.7%	44
93	Copiah Co School Dist	2,205	$10,780	100.0%	20.3%	43
94	West Jasper Consolidated Schools	1,411	$12,184	87.4%	32.3%	43
95	Joel E. Smillow Prep	577	$11,640	100.0%	30.7%	43
96	Scott Co School Dist	3,989	$10,252	100.0%	15.2%	40
97	Alcorn School Dist	3,188	$11,280	64.0%	26.6%	40
98	Brookhaven School Dist	2,586	$12,335	77.6%	36.2%	40
99	Monroe Co School Dist	2,119	$10,849	51.9%	26.3%	40
100	Webster Co School Dist	1,739	$11,163	55.1%	22.1%	40
101	Lee County School District	6,303	$11,383	71.4%	32.7%	39
102	Marshall Co School Dist	2,777	$11,240	100.0%	30.0%	39
103	Forest Municipal School Dist	1,645	$12,170	100.0%	31.1%	39
104	Amory School Dist	1,518	$11,627	60.7%	24.3%	39
105	Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons Dist	4,894	$13,106	69.3%	43.0%	38
106	Enterprise School Dist	955	$11,213	58.0%	35.6%	38
107	Richton School Dist	597	$11,235	64.8%	18.9%	37
108	Madison Co School Dist	13,162	$12,248	48.5%	48.5%	36
109	Gulfport School Dist	6,113	$11,784	94.7%	36.9%	36
110	Tate Co School Dist	2,014	$11,208	76.6%	22.9%	36
111	Senatobia Municipal School Dist	1,666	$12,190	66.2%	30.7%	36
112	Hazlehurst City School District	1,368	$12,649	100.0%	33.9%	36
113	Hancock Co School Dist	4,060	$11,907	63.3%	36.4%	35
114	Pontotoc Co School Dist	3,466	$10,351	64.6%	19.6%	35
115	Hinds Co School Dist	4,968	$11,422	82.7%	44.0%	34
116	Neshoba County School District	3,038	$10,084	66.9%	15.9%	34
117	Laurel School District	2,712	$12,215	100.0%	48.2%	34
118	Petal School Dist	4,392	$11,258	59.0%	30.0%	33
119	Ambition Preparatory Charter School	395	$12,159	100.0%	31.5%	33
120	Lamar County School District	10,276	$11,188	56.2%	33.5%	32
121	Canton Public School Dist	3,166	$12,389	100.0%	38.0%	31
122	Long Beach School Dist	2,929	$11,009	55.1%	25.2%	31
123	Forrest County Ag High School	611	$12,178	67.1%	31.9%	31
124	Lincoln County School District	2,795	$9,945	57.4%	24.0%	30
125	George Co School Dist	4,165	$10,015	66.9%	22.4%	29
126	Lauderdale Co School Dist	5,910	$11,039	49.6%	30.1%	28
127	Union Co School Dist	2,980	$10,322	54.4%	24.3%	28
128	Stone Co School Dist	2,518	$10,135	65.0%	23.8%	28
129	New Albany Public Schools	2,114	$11,485	63.2%	30.7%	28
130	Lowndes Co School Dist	5,261	$11,059	66.1%	44.4%	27
131	Rankin Co School Dist	18,720	$11,323	47.9%	42.5%	26
132	Smith Co School Dist	2,443	$10,642	73.0%	26.7%	26
133	Jones Co School Dist	8,524	$9,972	70.1%	28.7%	25
134	Lafayette Co School Dist	2,872	$11,135	47.8%	38.0%	24
135	Poplarville Separate School Dist	1,909	$10,679	63.4%	28.9%	24
136	Harrison Co School Dist	14,355	$11,305	72.7%	36.5%	23
137	Pearl River Co School Dist	3,284	$10,031	59.9%	26.2%	23
138	Corinth School Dist	2,490	$10,337	60.4%	25.6%	23
139	Oxford School District	4,766	$12,453	44.1%	53.6%	20
140	Pearl Public School District	4,216	$10,831	69.7%	34.5%	20
141	Midtown Public Charter School	284	$10,813	100.0%	34.1%	20
142	Ocean Springs School Dist	5,861	$10,621	41.5%	34.0%	19
143	Booneville School Dist	1,321	$10,327	54.1%	29.2%	18
144	Jackson Co School Dist	8,906	$10,899	54.8%	37.9%	13
145	Desoto Co School Dist	35,003	$9,525	51.4%	33.8%	11
146	Clinton Public School Dist	5,211	$9,681	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 2022-23), 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.