Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary

Q: Is Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary a good school?

Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary ranks 249 th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary is a public elementary school in Starkville, Mississippi, serving grades 2-4 and part of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. The school has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (62.97%) compared to surrounding schools, and an extremely high percentage (over 99%) of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

While Henderson/Ward-Stewart's test scores are generally lower than the state averages, they are on par with or slightly better than the district averages. However, the school's performance lags behind some of the higher-performing nearby schools, such as East Webster Elementary. Additionally, Henderson/Ward-Stewart's spending per student, at $9,169, is lower than the $11,039 spent per student at the nearby West Elementary School.

The significant racial imbalance and high level of economic disadvantage at Henderson/Ward-Stewart may reflect broader socioeconomic and demographic patterns in the Starkville area. The school's declining performance, with its ranking dropping from 164th out of 381 Mississippi elementary schools in 2020-2021 to 249th out of 390 in 2023-2024, suggests the need for further investigation and potential interventions to address the underlying factors contributing to these trends.

Detail:

Public 2-4

200-C Dr. Martin Luther King D
Starkville, MS 39759

(662) 324-4160

District: Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District

SchoolDigger Rank:
249^th of 390 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,750

Students who attend Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Overstreet Elementary
High:	Starkville High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.3

Number of students: 948

Racial breakdown:

African American:

63.0%

White:

31.9%

Asian:

3.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary ranks worse than 63.8% of elementary schools in Mississippi. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.49. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District. Racial makeup is: African American (63%), White (31.9%), Asian (3.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary is 14.3, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District! (See more...)

Compare Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary employs 66.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary is $11,750. 1 elementary schools in the Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District:

SchoolDigger ranks Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District 64^th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MS State Percentile
2018	42.21	238^th	404	41.1%
2019	38.09	250^th	397	37.0%
2021	56.81	164^th	381	57.0%
2022	46.44	208^th	382	45.5%
2023	43.79	213^th	377	43.5%
2024	38.49	249^th	390	36.2%

See the entire list of Mississippi Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Mississippi Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Total
2016	207	430	29	8	1	1	676
2017	303	821	49	8	1	0	1182
2018	321	790	43	12	1	1	1168
2019	328	739	42	11	1	1	1122
2020	315	678	53	13	1	2	1062
2021	284	648	43	11	1	1	988
2022	299	556	40	14	1	2	912
2023	302	597	36	9	3	1	948

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	676	45.0	15.0	71.2
2017	1182	75.9	15.5	75
2018	1168	74.5	15.6	74.4
2019	1122	63.2	17.7	70.2
2020	1062	62.2	17.0	69.1
2021	988	72.2	13.6	99.7
2022	912	57.1	15.9	99.7
2023	948	66.2	14.3	99.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	676	45.0	15.0	71.2
2017	1182	75.9	15.5	75
2018	1168	74.5	15.6	74.4
2019	1122	63.2	17.7	70.2
2020	1062	62.2	17.0	69.1
2021	988	72.2	13.6	99.7
2022	912	57.1	15.9	99.7
2023	948	66.2	14.3	99.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$8,384
2018	$9,169
2019	$9,728
2020	$10,230
2021	$10,696
2022	$11,750

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 250^th of 397 Elementary schools	Ranks 213^th of 377 Elementary schools	6.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary)	42.6	44.2	1.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District)	41.7	43.9	2.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.3	51.6	3.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary)	46.4	44.5	1.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District)	46	45	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	51.4	54.8	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary)	35.9	49.1	13.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District)	37.3	48.1	10.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.5	53.4	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary)	31.4	51.3	19.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District)	33.4	50.2	16.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	48.8	56.7	7.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1122	948	15.5%
African American	739	597	19.2%
American Indian	1	3	200%
Asian	42	36	14.3%
Hispanic	11	9	18.2%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	328	302	7.9%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	70.2%	99.7%	29.5%

Schools Near Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAAP English Language Arts (2024)				MAAP Mathematics (2024)				MAAP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	Total
Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary	Public	2-4	200-C Dr. Martin Luther King D	Starkville	39759	Oktibbeha County	Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 324-4160	948	66	14.3	99.7%	302 (31.9%)	597 (63.0%)	9 (0.9%)	36 (3.8%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	38.5	249^th of 390 public elementary schools	36.2%		43.8	213^th of 377 public elementary schools	43.5%	36	47.5	50.3			41.0	46.7				$11,750
Sudduth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	101 Greenfield Drive	Starkville	39759	Oktibbeha County	Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 324-4150	881	62	14.2	99.7%	255 (28.9%)	572 (64.9%)	10 (1.1%)	39 (4.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)								(n/a)										$10,869
South Side Elementary School	Public	3-4	237 Louis Odneal Road	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 495-6216	293	26	11.3	100.0%	49 (16.7%)	234 (79.9%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	41	244^th of 390 public elementary schools	37.4%		33.9	264^th of 377 public elementary schools	30.0%	20	48.5	52.9			40.5	49.2				$13,947
Church Hill Elementary School	Public	1-2	2050 W Church Hill Road	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 494-5900	381	24	15.9	100.0%	48 (12.6%)	324 (85.0%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)								(n/a)										$11,740
East Side Elementary School	Public	PK-K	1039 E Broad Street	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 494-4691	244	23	10.6	100.0%	37 (15.2%)	197 (80.7%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.0%)								(n/a)										$12,413
West Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	127 Sturgis Maben Road	Sturgis	39769	Oktibbeha County	Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 465-7956	183	15	11.8	98.4%	93 (50.8%)	89 (48.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41	242^nd of 390 public elementary schools	37.9%		44.3	208^th of 377 public elementary schools	44.8%	34	42.3	45.0	36.7		46.2	60.0	50.0		66.7	$13,625
West Lowndes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1000 Gilmer Wilburn Road	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-5050	234	27	8.6	100.0%	8 (3.4%)	222 (94.9%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43.4	225^th of 390 public elementary schools	42.3%		38.1	245^th of 377 public elementary schools	35.0%	20	67.6	41.6	30.3	32.0	35.1	29.2	51.6	56.0	75.8	$15,513
East Webster Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	230 South Street	Mathiston	39752	Webster County	Webster County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 263-8373	418	34	12.2	100.0%	363 (86.8%)	49 (11.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	86.3	38^th of 390 public elementary schools	90.3%		83.2	48^th of 377 public elementary schools	87.3%	10	67.8	77.6	64.4		71.5	81.7	79.7		84.8	$9,872
West Clay Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	450 Joe Stevens Road	Cedarbluff	39741	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 494-2350	94	12	7.9	100.0%	11 (11.7%)	80 (85.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.2%)	51.8	194^th of 390 public elementary schools	50.3%		53.3	169^th of 377 public elementary schools	55.2%	25	69.2	62.6	33.3	40.0	69.2	43.8	50.0	53.3	41.6	$21,255

Frequently Asked Questions about Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary

Is Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary a good school?

Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary ranks 249^th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary?

Students at Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary are 63% African American, 32% White, 4% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary attend?

Students who attend Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Overstreet Elementary
High : Starkville High School

How many students attend Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 948 students attended Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary.

What district is Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary in?

Starkville- Oktibbeha Cons District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.