While the U.S. is one of the most educated countries in the world, it doesn’t provide the same quality elementary school or secondary school education to all students. In many states, more affluent school districts receive a greater amount of funding per student than poorer districts, with one estimate claiming that low-income districts are underfunded by around $6,700 per pupil.
Discrepancies between the rich and poor have been exacerbated even more due to the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Low-income students have suffered the greatest “learning loss” due to partial or total remote learning. One contributing factor is that people in low-income districts are less likely to have the technological resources they need.
States that provide equitable funding to all school districts can help prevent poor students from having lower graduation rates, lower rates of pursuing higher education and smaller future incomes than their wealthy peers. The difference is dramatic: College graduates have $154 - $1,115 higher median weekly earnings than people with a high school diploma and no college experience, depending on the degree.
Mississippi has the 7th most equitable school districts in the U.S. overall, but some districts within the state are fairer than others. To find out where school funding is distributed most equitably, WalletHub scored 138 districts in Mississippi based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.
Main Findings
Note: For visual purposes, we included only the top 7 school districts by enrollment from each category. Rank 1 on the “Expenditures Ranking” means highest expenditures and Rank 1 on “Income Ranking” means lowest income.
Most & Least Equitable School Districts in Mississippi
| Rank* | School District | Score | Expeditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools per Pupil | Income by School District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Panola School District | 0.25 | $9,426 | $45,089 |
| 2 | Benton Co School Dist | 0.29 | $10,719 | $39,758 |
| 3 | Stone Co School Dist | 0.36 | $8,737 | $47,683 |
| 4 | Alcorn School Dist | 0.40 | $9,177 | $45,844 |
| 5 | Baldwyn School District | 0.43 | $11,351 | $37,201 |
| 6 | Okolona Separate School Dist | 0.49 | $11,544 | $36,429 |
| 7 | Monroe Co School Dist | 0.73 | $8,744 | $47,500 |
| 8 | Water Valley School District | 1.08 | $9,522 | $44,131 |
| 9 | Prentiss Co School Dist | 1.56 | $9,594 | $43,635 |
| 10 | Franklin Co School Dist | 1.57 | $10,697 | $39,066 |
| 11 | Simpson Co School Dist | 1.74 | $9,631 | $43,403 |
| 12 | Pontotoc Co School Dist | 1.82 | $8,095 | $49,726 |
| 13 | New Albany Public Schools | 1.93 | $9,385 | $44,343 |
| 14 | Pontotoc City Schools | 2.09 | $9,045 | $47,436 |
| 15 | Nettleton School Dist | 2.29 | $8,463 | $48,007 |
| 16 | Jackson Public School District | 2.42 | $10,511 | $39,477 |
| 17 | Itawamba County School Dist | 2.52 | $8,526 | $47,649 |
| 18 | Copiah Co School Dist | 2.67 | $9,273 | $46,737 |
| 19 | Picayune School District | 2.76 | $10,489 | $41,745 |
| 20 | Western Line School District | 2.77 | $10,502 | $39,369 |
| 21 | Yazoo Co School Dist | 2.80 | $10,955 | $39,834 |
| 22 | Lincoln County School District | 3.19 | $7,937 | $52,481 |
| 23 | Philadelphia Public School Dist | 3.28 | $10,504 | $39,146 |
| 24 | Pearl Public School District | 3.67 | $8,437 | $50,614 |
| 25 | Columbus Municipal School Dist | 3.81 | $11,212 | $39,194 |
| 26 | Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons Dist | 4.01 | $10,347 | $39,490 |
| 27 | Amory School Dist | 4.04 | $9,259 | $47,371 |
| 28 | Jones Co School Dist | 4.85 | $7,817 | $49,602 |
| 29 | Union Co School Dist | 5.08 | $8,452 | $51,144 |
| 30 | George Co School Dist | 5.13 | $8,407 | $47,044 |
| 31 | Union Public School Dist | 5.20 | $8,820 | $45,307 |
| 32 | Hazlehurst City School District | 5.35 | $9,550 | $42,226 |
| 33 | Newton Municipal School District | 5.44 | $10,927 | $36,492 |
| 34 | Claiborne Co School Dist | 6.11 | $11,880 | $32,268 |
| 35 | Natchez-Adams School District | 6.18 | $12,268 | $30,633 |
| 36 | Coffeeville School Dist | 6.37 | $11,978 | $31,750 |
| 37 | Tate Co School Dist | 7.13 | $9,014 | $49,683 |
| 38 | Coahoma County School District | 7.28 | $13,519 | $31,107 |
| 39 | Newton County School District | 7.46 | $9,481 | $47,887 |
| 40 | West Tallahatchie School District | 8.41 | $13,307 | $25,399 |
| 41 | Enterprise School Dist | 8.56 | $9,171 | $49,634 |
| 42 | Carroll County School Dist | 8.72 | $9,889 | $46,729 |
| 43 | Smith Co School Dist | 8.96 | $8,582 | $44,714 |
| 44 | Greene County School District | 9.27 | $9,871 | $47,033 |
| 45 | Tunica County School District | 9.27 | $12,905 | $34,485 |
| 46 | Biloxi Public School Dist | 9.42 | $10,002 | $46,556 |
| 47 | East Jasper Consolidated Sch Dist | 9.51 | $12,791 | $35,056 |
| 48 | Hollandale School Dist | 10.00 | $13,070 | $34,107 |
| 49 | South Delta School District | 10.16 | $12,798 | $35,302 |
| 50 | West Jasper Consolidated Schools | 10.30 | $9,726 | $39,416 |
| 51 | Poplarville Separate School Dist | 10.45 | $9,657 | $48,417 |
| 52 | Hattiesburg Public School Dist | 10.47 | $10,863 | $34,643 |
| 53 | Jefferson Davis Co School Dist | 10.54 | $11,443 | $32,214 |
| 54 | South Tippah School Dist | 10.67 | $9,738 | $39,213 |
| 55 | Noxubee County School District | 10.96 | $10,254 | $36,958 |
| 56 | Marshall Co School Dist | 11.20 | $10,901 | $43,585 |
| 57 | Amite County School District | 11.36 | $14,006 | $30,805 |
| 58 | Calhoun Co School Dist | 12.58 | $9,270 | $40,345 |
| 59 | Tishomingo Co Sp Mun Sch Dist | 12.68 | $9,754 | $38,302 |
| 60 | Winona-Montgomery Consolidated | 12.71 | $9,819 | $38,022 |
| 61 | West Bolivar Cons School Dist | 12.73 | $12,772 | $25,798 |
| 62 | Holly Springs School Dist | 12.95 | $11,311 | $42,625 |
| 63 | Webster Co School Dist | 13.10 | $8,967 | $52,382 |
| 64 | Choctaw Co School Dist | 13.47 | $12,808 | $36,648 |
| 65 | Vicksburg Warren School Dist | 13.69 | $10,350 | $46,909 |
| 66 | Forest Municipal School Dist | 13.97 | $8,178 | $44,279 |
| 67 | Grenada School Dist | 14.14 | $9,207 | $39,952 |
| 68 | Louisville Municipal School Dist | 14.46 | $9,408 | $38,986 |
| 69 | North Bolivar Cons School Dist | 14.82 | $12,348 | $26,673 |
| 70 | Mccomb School District | 15.28 | $11,267 | $30,952 |
| 71 | East Tallahatchie Consol Sch Dist | 15.85 | $10,910 | $32,188 |
| 72 | Laurel School District | 16.25 | $10,489 | $33,761 |
| 73 | Wilkinson Co School Dist | 16.72 | $11,167 | $30,760 |
| 74 | Cleveland School Dist | 16.86 | $9,610 | $37,142 |
| 75 | Kemper Co School Dist | 17.01 | $14,597 | $30,735 |
| 76 | North Pike School Dist | 17.34 | $8,957 | $39,641 |
| 77 | Quitman Co School Dist | 17.54 | $12,662 | $24,233 |
| 78 | North Panola School District | 17.73 | $10,542 | $32,923 |
| 79 | Harrison Co School Dist | 17.81 | $9,386 | $52,626 |
| 80 | Meridian Public Schools | 18.55 | $11,144 | $30,088 |
| 81 | Aberdeen School Dist | 19.41 | $12,183 | $41,730 |
| 82 | Marion Co School Dist | 19.45 | $10,166 | $33,754 |
| 83 | Sunflower Cty Cons School District | 19.91 | $10,661 | $31,515 |
| 84 | Wayne Co School Dist | 20.57 | $10,087 | $33,612 |
| 85 | Covington County School District | 20.60 | $10,252 | $32,917 |
| 86 | Brookhaven School Dist | 21.53 | $9,162 | $37,037 |
| 87 | Lee County School District | 21.56 | $8,982 | $55,873 |
| 88 | Canton Public School Dist | 21.98 | $9,139 | $36,940 |
| 89 | Humphreys Co School Dist | 22.99 | $11,046 | $28,628 |
| 90 | Forrest County School District | 23.04 | $11,336 | $46,757 |
| 91 | Scott Co School Dist | 23.04 | $8,765 | $38,043 |
| 92 | Lawrence Co School Dist | 23.52 | $9,153 | $36,239 |
| 93 | Houston School Dist | 23.78 | $9,070 | $36,470 |
| 94 | Lafayette Co School Dist | 23.83 | $9,418 | $55,024 |
| 95 | Clarksdale Municipal School Dist | 23.90 | $10,476 | $30,603 |
| 96 | Walthall Co School Dist | 23.92 | $9,758 | $33,566 |
| 97 | Oxford School District | 24.07 | $10,039 | $52,555 |
| 98 | Attala Co School Dist | 24.14 | $12,694 | $41,601 |
| 99 | Jefferson Co School Dist | 25.32 | $10,593 | $29,524 |
| 100 | Quitman School Dist | 25.34 | $10,097 | $31,569 |
| 101 | West Point Consolidated School Dist | 25.78 | $9,656 | $33,209 |
| 102 | Pass Christian Public School Dist | 26.00 | $10,731 | $50,500 |
| 103 | Gulfport School Dist | 26.81 | $9,106 | $35,051 |
| 104 | Neshoba County School District | 26.92 | $7,605 | $41,214 |
| 105 | North Tippah School Dist | 26.93 | $8,723 | $36,583 |
| 106 | Jackson Co School Dist | 27.13 | $8,927 | $58,438 |
| 107 | Long Beach School Dist | 27.94 | $8,826 | $59,195 |
| 108 | Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist | 28.17 | $11,788 | $47,039 |
| 109 | Leake Co School Dist | 28.23 | $8,561 | $36,708 |
| 110 | Lauderdale Co School Dist | 28.39 | $9,759 | $55,525 |
| 111 | Petal School Dist | 28.82 | $8,996 | $58,865 |
| 112 | Greenwood-Leflore Cons Sch District | 29.13 | $10,073 | $30,077 |
| 113 | South Pike School Dist | 30.03 | $9,910 | $30,373 |
| 114 | Tupelo Public School Dist | 30.79 | $10,101 | $55,118 |
| 115 | Clinton Public School Dist | 32.27 | $8,053 | $64,215 |
| 116 | Hancock Co School Dist | 32.50 | $9,570 | $58,032 |
| 117 | Columbia School District | 32.90 | $10,072 | $28,496 |
| 118 | Lowndes Co School Dist | 33.07 | $9,156 | $59,985 |
| 119 | Hinds Co School Dist | 34.87 | $9,245 | $60,375 |
| 120 | Lamar County School District | 34.88 | $8,779 | $62,305 |
| 121 | Greenville Public Schools | 35.89 | $10,048 | $27,340 |
| 122 | Corinth School Dist | 36.84 | $8,304 | $34,156 |
| 123 | Richton School Dist | 37.10 | $8,920 | $31,500 |
| 124 | Perry Co School Dist | 37.72 | $12,148 | $49,560 |
| 125 | Kosciusko School District | 38.66 | $8,923 | $30,830 |
| 126 | Ocean Springs School Dist | 39.15 | $8,630 | $64,716 |
| 127 | Pascagoula-Gautier School District | 39.42 | $13,181 | $46,000 |
| 128 | Chickasaw Co School Dist | 40.35 | $8,617 | $31,389 |
| 129 | Booneville School Dist | 42.24 | $8,725 | $30,149 |
| 130 | Senatobia Municipal School Dist | 43.65 | $9,876 | $61,450 |
| 131 | Desoto Co School Dist | 46.31 | $8,082 | $69,990 |
| 132 | Pearl River Co School Dist | 49.91 | $8,319 | $70,521 |
| 133 | Holmes County Consolidated Sd | 51.53 | $9,250 | $24,074 |
| 134 | Yazoo City Municipal School Dist | 52.13 | $9,031 | $24,730 |
| 135 | Moss Point Separate School Dist | 53.79 | $15,828 | $41,086 |
| 136 | Leland School Dist | 57.30 | $14,724 | $47,128 |
| 137 | Rankin Co School Dist | 64.48 | $9,309 | $72,543 |
| 138 | Madison Co School Dist | 98.96 | $9,982 | $84,235 |
*1=Most Equitable
Methodology
In order to rank the states with the most and least equitable school districts, WalletHub first scored 12,876 school districts throughout the U.S. based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.
For expenditures, for each 1 percent above the state's average we removed 1 point from a base score of 50 points for each district. For household income, for each 1 percent above the state's average we added 1 point to a base score of 50 points for each district. The inverse was true for each 1 percent below the state's average.
The final score for each district was calculated by taking the absolute difference between the score for expenditures and the score for household income. We then ranked the districts based on the total score, with the lowest value, representing the most equitable, being ranked 1.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from of the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics.