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.
Discrepancies between the rich and poor have been exacerbated even more this year by 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 $524 - $1,112 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 139 districts in Mississippi based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil. Read on for the district ranking and a complete description of our methodology.
Main Findings
Note: For visual purposes, we included only the top 7 school districts by enrollment from each category.
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 | George Co School Dist | 0.04 | $8,180 | $47,292 |
| 2 | Holly Springs School Dist | 0.16 | $10,688 | $36,744 |
| 3 | Claiborne Co School Dist | 0.35 | $12,512 | $29,338 |
| 4 | Lincoln County School District | 0.37 | $7,422 | $50,288 |
| 5 | Amory School Dist | 0.55 | $9,244 | $42,610 |
| 6 | Union Co School Dist | 0.63 | $8,290 | $46,559 |
| 7 | Monroe Co School Dist | 0.70 | $8,373 | $46,754 |
| 8 | Marshall Co School Dist | 0.90 | $8,415 | $46,662 |
| 9 | Wayne Co School Dist | 0.91 | $10,384 | $37,706 |
| 10 | Webster Co School Dist | 0.98 | $8,646 | $45,730 |
| 11 | Stone Co School Dist | 1.61 | $8,767 | $45,483 |
| 12 | Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons Dist | 1.64 | $9,975 | $40,453 |
| 13 | East Jasper Consolidated Sch Dist | 1.71 | $12,049 | $31,824 |
| 14 | Canton Public School Dist | 1.75 | $9,288 | $41,939 |
| 15 | Natchez-Adams School District | 1.76 | $12,163 | $29,936 |
| 16 | Copiah Co School Dist | 1.88 | $8,551 | $46,493 |
| 17 | Pontotoc City Schools | 1.92 | $8,764 | $45,621 |
| 18 | Columbus Municipal School Dist | 2.17 | $9,625 | $40,362 |
| 19 | Alcorn School Dist | 2.41 | $9,075 | $44,520 |
| 20 | South Tippah School Dist | 3.25 | $9,309 | $41,241 |
| 21 | Winona-Montgomery Consolidated | 3.28 | $9,642 | $39,840 |
| 22 | Okolona Separate School Dist | 3.53 | $11,606 | $34,412 |
| 23 | North Panola School District | 3.57 | $11,579 | $34,544 |
| 24 | Jackson Public School District | 3.86 | $9,930 | $38,399 |
| 25 | South Delta School District | 4.18 | $12,233 | $28,660 |
| 26 | Simpson Co School Dist | 4.67 | $8,545 | $43,850 |
| 27 | South Panola School District | 4.71 | $9,246 | $40,911 |
| 28 | Franklin Co School Dist | 4.71 | $10,330 | $40,219 |
| 29 | Attala Co School Dist | 5.39 | $11,666 | $34,921 |
| 30 | Covington County School District | 5.50 | $9,823 | $38,178 |
| 31 | Benton Co School Dist | 5.75 | $10,259 | $36,258 |
| 32 | Itawamba County School Dist | 5.80 | $8,263 | $44,567 |
| 33 | Jones Co School Dist | 5.82 | $7,683 | $46,981 |
| 34 | Lawrence Co School Dist | 5.93 | $8,886 | $41,914 |
| 35 | New Albany Public Schools | 5.98 | $9,257 | $45,216 |
| 36 | Picayune School District | 6.13 | $10,367 | $40,645 |
| 37 | Western Line School District | 6.21 | $9,833 | $37,851 |
| 38 | West Jasper Consolidated Schools | 6.26 | $9,424 | $39,537 |
| 39 | Water Valley School District | 6.41 | $8,773 | $42,193 |
| 40 | Prentiss Co School Dist | 7.35 | $8,897 | $41,292 |
| 41 | West Tallahatchie School District | 7.63 | $12,925 | $24,367 |
| 42 | Quitman Co School Dist | 8.25 | $12,645 | $25,283 |
| 43 | Brookhaven School Dist | 9.16 | $9,068 | $39,841 |
| 44 | Hattiesburg Public School Dist | 9.53 | $10,518 | $33,639 |
| 45 | Smith Co School Dist | 9.75 | $8,228 | $43,105 |
| 46 | Forrest County School District | 9.76 | $10,988 | $39,531 |
| 47 | Grenada School Dist | 9.87 | $8,931 | $40,122 |
| 48 | Jefferson Davis Co School Dist | 10.18 | $10,819 | $32,116 |
| 49 | Quitman School Dist | 10.30 | $9,550 | $37,364 |
| 50 | Tate Co School Dist | 10.45 | $8,929 | $48,404 |
| 51 | Lee County School District | 10.59 | $8,627 | $49,723 |
| 52 | Pearl Public School District | 10.83 | $8,597 | $49,944 |
| 53 | Meridian Public Schools | 10.85 | $10,681 | $32,422 |
| 54 | Hazlehurst City School District | 12.49 | $9,391 | $37,137 |
| 55 | Yazoo Co School Dist | 12.53 | $10,649 | $42,070 |
| 56 | Tishomingo Co Sp Mun Sch Dist | 12.55 | $9,255 | $37,681 |
| 57 | Leland School Dist | 12.56 | $11,606 | $38,088 |
| 58 | Aberdeen School Dist | 12.85 | $11,179 | $39,991 |
| 59 | Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist | 13.09 | $10,774 | $41,778 |
| 60 | Poplarville Separate School Dist | 13.13 | $9,740 | $46,111 |
| 61 | North Pike School Dist | 13.71 | $8,170 | $41,738 |
| 62 | Choctaw Co School Dist | 14.02 | $12,063 | $36,777 |
| 63 | Carroll County School Dist | 14.09 | $9,848 | $46,052 |
| 64 | Pontotoc Co School Dist | 14.22 | $7,548 | $44,126 |
| 65 | Greene County School District | 14.59 | $9,028 | $49,677 |
| 66 | Harrison Co School Dist | 14.76 | $8,608 | $51,499 |
| 67 | Marion Co School Dist | 14.87 | $10,185 | $32,855 |
| 68 | Newton Municipal School District | 15.59 | $10,308 | $32,047 |
| 69 | Biloxi Public School Dist | 15.84 | $9,709 | $47,342 |
| 70 | Hollandale School Dist | 15.87 | $13,243 | $32,604 |
| 71 | Vicksburg Warren School Dist | 15.91 | $10,250 | $45,113 |
| 72 | Union Public School Dist | 16.13 | $8,387 | $39,848 |
| 73 | Newton County School District | 16.50 | $9,043 | $36,958 |
| 74 | Clarksdale Municipal School Dist | 17.23 | $10,585 | $30,223 |
| 75 | Houston School Dist | 17.46 | $8,899 | $37,166 |
| 76 | Noxubee County School District | 17.49 | $9,707 | $33,784 |
| 77 | Hancock Co School Dist | 17.90 | $8,511 | $53,182 |
| 78 | East Tallahatchie Consol Sch Dist | 18.11 | $10,078 | $31,982 |
| 79 | Gulfport School Dist | 18.14 | $9,001 | $36,464 |
| 80 | Long Beach School Dist | 18.18 | $8,464 | $53,491 |
| 81 | Nettleton School Dist | 18.33 | $8,227 | $39,620 |
| 82 | Coffeeville School Dist | 18.55 | $12,165 | $38,197 |
| 83 | Coahoma County School District | 18.63 | $11,141 | $27,333 |
| 84 | Louisville Municipal School Dist | 19.25 | $9,310 | $34,724 |
| 85 | Cleveland School Dist | 19.47 | $9,033 | $35,789 |
| 86 | Tunica County School District | 19.80 | $12,005 | $39,370 |
| 87 | Lauderdale Co School Dist | 20.19 | $8,813 | $52,855 |
| 88 | Philadelphia Public School Dist | 20.40 | $9,910 | $31,753 |
| 89 | North Tippah School Dist | 20.63 | $8,648 | $36,925 |
| 90 | Mccomb School District | 20.81 | $10,632 | $28,571 |
| 91 | Sunflower Cty Cons School District | 20.86 | $10,084 | $30,838 |
| 92 | South Pike School Dist | 21.02 | $9,443 | $33,446 |
| 93 | Corinth School Dist | 21.39 | $8,161 | $38,646 |
| 94 | Baldwyn School District | 21.75 | $11,317 | $43,036 |
| 95 | Columbia School District | 22.06 | $9,825 | $31,430 |
| 96 | West Bolivar Cons School Dist | 22.13 | $11,668 | $23,709 |
| 97 | Laurel School District | 22.18 | $9,801 | $31,481 |
| 98 | Calhoun Co School Dist | 22.57 | $8,378 | $37,263 |
| 99 | Oxford School District | 22.59 | $10,050 | $48,668 |
| 100 | West Point Consolidated School Dist | 22.99 | $9,638 | $31,833 |
| 101 | Chickasaw Co School Dist | 24.04 | $9,065 | $33,798 |
| 102 | Neshoba County School District | 24.35 | $7,521 | $40,115 |
| 103 | Kemper Co School Dist | 24.46 | $14,441 | $31,103 |
| 104 | Leake Co School Dist | 25.06 | $8,175 | $37,096 |
| 105 | Jackson Co School Dist | 25.71 | $8,430 | $56,700 |
| 106 | Kosciusko School District | 26.51 | $9,118 | $32,570 |
| 107 | Petal School Dist | 26.56 | $8,722 | $55,825 |
| 108 | Jefferson Co School Dist | 27.80 | $10,801 | $25,019 |
| 109 | Scott Co School Dist | 27.86 | $8,091 | $36,305 |
| 110 | Walthall Co School Dist | 28.24 | $9,335 | $30,961 |
| 111 | Tupelo Public School Dist | 28.46 | $10,002 | $51,258 |
| 112 | Lafayette Co School Dist | 29.17 | $9,549 | $53,438 |
| 113 | Greenwood Public School District | 29.32 | $10,264 | $26,644 |
| 114 | Humphreys Co School Dist | 30.12 | $9,630 | $28,962 |
| 115 | Perry Co School Dist | 30.47 | $11,443 | $46,063 |
| 116 | Leflore Co School Dist | 31.96 | $9,947 | $26,892 |
| 117 | Booneville School Dist | 33.56 | $8,563 | $32,016 |
| 118 | Clinton Public School Dist | 33.63 | $7,846 | $62,362 |
| 119 | North Bolivar Cons School Dist | 36.30 | $10,199 | $24,072 |
| 120 | Pascagoula-Gautier School District | 36.69 | $12,542 | $44,005 |
| 121 | Lamar County School District | 36.85 | $8,527 | $60,830 |
| 122 | Wilkinson Co School Dist | 36.96 | $9,358 | $27,313 |
| 123 | Senatobia Municipal School Dist | 37.46 | $9,508 | $56,982 |
| 124 | Forest Municipal School Dist | 38.79 | $8,249 | $31,197 |
| 125 | Greenville Public Schools | 38.83 | $9,454 | $26,150 |
| 126 | Pearl River Co School Dist | 38.94 | $8,081 | $63,540 |
| 127 | Richton School Dist | 39.44 | $8,139 | $31,393 |
| 128 | Pass Christian Public School Dist | 40.74 | $10,476 | $54,279 |
| 129 | Desoto Co School Dist | 43.52 | $7,690 | $67,038 |
| 130 | Enterprise School Dist | 45.20 | $8,846 | $62,896 |
| 131 | Lowndes Co School Dist | 46.35 | $9,303 | $61,457 |
| 132 | Moss Point Separate School Dist | 46.96 | $14,048 | $41,902 |
| 133 | Hinds Co School Dist | 47.86 | $9,720 | $60,334 |
| 134 | Holmes Co Consolidated School Dist | 49.67 | $9,510 | $21,504 |
| 135 | Yazoo City Municipal School Dist | 51.55 | $8,564 | $24,688 |
| 136 | Ocean Springs School Dist | 54.48 | $8,276 | $69,055 |
| 137 | Amite County School District | 54.89 | $16,719 | $33,981 |
| 138 | Rankin Co School Dist | 65.10 | $8,980 | $70,439 |
| 139 | Madison Co School Dist | 103.58 | $9,653 | $83,293 |
*1=Most Equitable
Methodology
In order to rank the states with the most and least equitable school districts, WalletHub first scored 12,927 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 the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics.