West Lauderdale Elementary School

Q: Is West Lauderdale Elementary School a good school?

West Lauderdale Elementary School ranks 97 th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

West Lauderdale Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 687 students in grades PK-4 in Meridian, Mississippi, which is part of the Lauderdale County School District. Despite serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population, the school consistently outperforms the district and state in academic achievement.

West Lauderdale Elementary has a strong track record of academic excellence, with 70.1% of 3rd graders and 79.4% of 4th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 59.9% and 69.3% for the Lauderdale County School District, and 57.7% and 57.1% for the state of Mississippi, respectively. In mathematics, 72.8% of 4th graders at West Lauderdale were proficient or better, compared to 66.9% for the district and 55% for the state. This consistent academic performance is particularly noteworthy given that over 99% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

Another notable aspect of West Lauderdale Elementary is its racial composition, which is predominantly White (80.64% in 2022-2023), significantly higher than the racial diversity of nearby schools in the Lauderdale County School District and the Meridian Public Schools district. Additionally, the school's per-student spending of $7,831 in 2018-2019 is lower than the nearby Northeast Lauderdale Elementary ($9,703) and Crestwood Elementary ($9,824) schools, raising questions about potential funding disparities.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

10350 Highway 495
Meridian, MS 39305

(601) 737-2279

District: Lauderdale County School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
97^th of 390 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,636

Students who attend West Lauderdale Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	West Lauderdale Middle School
High:	West Lauderdale High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 725

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.1%

African American:

13.5%

Two or more races:

4.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details West Lauderdale Elementary School ranks better than 75.1% of elementary schools in Mississippi. It also ranks 2^nd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Lauderdale County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 73. (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 Racial makeup is: White (80.1%), African American (13.5%), two or more races (4.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 38.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Lauderdale Elementary School is 14.1. 2 elementary schools in the Lauderdale County School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare West Lauderdale Elementary School employs 51.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Lauderdale Elementary School is $9,636, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Lauderdale County School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

West Lauderdale Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Lauderdale County School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Lauderdale County School District 24^th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for West Lauderdale Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MS State Percentile
2008	81.09	59^th	394	85.0%
2009	82.16	51^st	392	87.0%
2010	79.41	65^th	403	83.9%
2011	82.98	51^st	418	87.8%
2012	85.51	43^rd	414	89.6%
2013	79.30	75^th	408	81.6%
2014	78.91	61^st	394	84.5%
2015	71.08	99^th	402	75.4%
2016	88.75	24^th	394	93.9%
2017	85.79	38^th	406	90.6%
2018	81.50	55^th	404	86.4%
2019	82.84	58^th	397	85.4%
2021	75.37	88^th	381	76.9%
2022	77.33	75^th	382	80.4%
2023	70.67	102^nd	377	72.9%
2024	73.00	97^th	390	75.1%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for West Lauderdale Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2001	606	105	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	714
2002	632	90	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	729
2003	632	90	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	729
2004	583	96	4	5	1	n/a	n/a	689
2005	605	94	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	707
2006	627	96	7	6	0	n/a	n/a	736
2007	655	85	5	9	0	n/a	n/a	754
2008	669	109	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	787
2009	686	105	4	5	0	0	0	800
2010	703	118	4	9	0	0	0	834
2011	694	93	3	11	0	0	0	801
2012	670	94	2	14	1	0	0	781
2013	681	102	8	16	0	0	4	811
2014	666	115	2	21	0	0	3	807
2015	622	102	1	17	1	0	0	743
2016	637	97	1	17	1	0	0	753
2017	628	109	2	11	0	0	0	750
2018	587	110	2	8	0	0	2	709
2019	581	91	0	8	0	0	3	683
2020	571	95	0	12	1	0	2	681
2021	482	88	0	8	0	0	19	597
2022	546	95	0	13	0	0	18	672
2023	554	95	3	11	1	0	23	687
2024	581	98	3	8	1	0	34	725

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 West Lauderdale Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	714	42.2	16.9	42
2002	729	40.7	17.9	45.1
2003	729	40.7	17.9	45.1
2004	689	40.9	16.8	33.7
2005	707	40.5	17.5	33.1
2006	736	41.1	17.9	34.6
2007	754	42.3	17.8	33.4
2008	787	42.2	18.6	36.7
2009	800	46.4	17.2	35.5
2010	834	46.3	17.9	34.7
2011	801	46.5	17.1	35.1
2012	781	43.8	17.8	38.8
2013	811	45.1	17.9	38
2014	807	47.7	16.9	40.8
2015	743	47.0	15.8	43.1
2016	753	48.0	15.6	46.2
2017	750	46.8	16.0	45.1
2018	709	43.0	16.4	46.5
2019	683	39.9	17.1	40.3
2020	681	41.9	16.2	44.6
2021	597	38.8	15.3	99.5
2022	672	39.1	17.1	99.6
2023	687	48.2	14.2	99.6
2024	725	51.2	14.1	38.2

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 West Lauderdale Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	714	42.2	16.9	42
2002	729	40.7	17.9	45.1
2003	729	40.7	17.9	45.1
2004	689	40.9	16.8	33.7
2005	707	40.5	17.5	33.1
2006	736	41.1	17.9	34.6
2007	754	42.3	17.8	33.4
2008	787	42.2	18.6	36.7
2009	800	46.4	17.2	35.5
2010	834	46.3	17.9	34.7
2011	801	46.5	17.1	35.1
2012	781	43.8	17.8	38.8
2013	811	45.1	17.9	38
2014	807	47.7	16.9	40.8
2015	743	47.0	15.8	43.1
2016	753	48.0	15.6	46.2
2017	750	46.8	16.0	45.1
2018	709	43.0	16.4	46.5
2019	683	39.9	17.1	40.3
2020	681	41.9	16.2	44.6
2021	597	38.8	15.3	99.5
2022	672	39.1	17.1	99.6
2023	687	48.2	14.2	99.6
2024	725	51.2	14.1	38.2

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 West Lauderdale Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$7,693
2018	$7,831
2019	$8,895
2020	$9,979
2021	$8,924
2022	$9,636

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Lauderdale Elementary School

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 58^th of 397 Elementary schools	Ranks 102^nd of 377 Elementary schools	12.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Lauderdale Elementary School)	65.6	65.3	0.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lauderdale County School District)	53.3	58.9	5.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.3	51.6	3.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Lauderdale Elementary School)	63	58.2	4.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lauderdale County School District)	49.2	53.9	4.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	51.4	54.8	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Lauderdale Elementary School)	61.6	58.7	2.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lauderdale County School District)	58.4	56.5	1.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.5	53.4	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Lauderdale Elementary School)	65.4	61.1	4.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lauderdale County School District)	61.7	61.8	0.1%
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	683	687	0.6%
African American	91	95	4.4%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	3
Hispanic	8	11	37.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	581	554	4.6%
Two or More Races	3	23	666.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	40.3%	99.6%	59.3%

Schools Near West Lauderdale Elementary School

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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	Total
West Lauderdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	10350 Highway 495	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 737-2279	725	51	14.1	38.2%	581 (80.1%)	98 (13.5%)	8 (1.1%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.7%)	73	97^th of 390 public elementary schools	75.1%		70.7	102^nd of 377 public elementary schools	72.9%	5	70.1	79.4		38.5	72.8			$9,636
Northeast Lauderdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	6750 Newell Road	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 485-4882	746	64	11.7	70.5%	224 (30.0%)	443 (59.4%)	26 (3.5%)	13 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	38 (5.1%)	42.4	231^st of 390 public elementary schools	40.8%		41.8	222^nd of 377 public elementary schools	41.1%	9	47.3	60.5		25.3	60.5			$11,667
Poplar Springs Elementary School	Public	K-5	4101 27th Avenue	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-4455	382	29	13.2	100.0%	38 (9.9%)	314 (82.2%)	10 (2.6%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.5%)	41.5	238^th of 390 public elementary schools	39.0%		30.7	276^th of 377 public elementary schools	26.8%	38	57.8	37.6	53.7	51.6	18.8	46.3	68.5	$12,059
West Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	4100 32nd Street	Meridian	39307	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-4474	428	28	15.5	100.0%	4 (0.9%)	395 (92.3%)	11 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.7%)	28.3	287^th of 390 public elementary schools	26.4%		23.3	307^th of 377 public elementary schools	18.6%	20	52.7	37.7	29.5	46.0	34.1	27.4	62.0	$10,619
Parkview Elementary School	Public	K-5	1225 26th Street	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-3616	379	29	13.0	100.0%	3 (0.8%)	362 (95.5%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	12.9	353^rd of 390 public elementary schools	9.5%		15.2	335^th of 377 public elementary schools	11.1%	18	20.3	31.7	37.1	17.4	26.7	37.1	51.4	$12,497
Meridian Prekindergarten Academy	Public	PK	3930 14th St	Meridian	39307	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(601) 484-4463	151	9	15.9	100.0%	1 (0.7%)	140 (92.7%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.0%)								(n/a)
G.W. Washington Carver Elementary	Public	K-5	900 44th Ave	Meridian	39307	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(601) 484-4482	532	34	15.7	100.0%	17 (3.2%)	490 (92.1%)	13 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.1%)	10.3	368^th of 390 public elementary schools	5.6%					(n/a)	31.3	24.7	32.5	13.2	20.2	23.4	52.0
Crestwood Elementary School	Public	K-5	730 Crestwood Dr.	Meridian	39301	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 482-0395	352	24	14.4	100.0%	7 (2.0%)	324 (92.0%)	14 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	16.7	339^th of 390 public elementary schools	13.1%		27.7	288^th of 377 public elementary schools	23.6%	51	20.9	21.3	40.6	19.4	19.7	50.1	68.8	$12,988
Southeast Lauderdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2362 A Long Creek Road	Meridian	39301	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 486-2500	564	37	15.1	66.8%	370 (65.6%)	170 (30.1%)	10 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.1%)	52.8	186^th of 390 public elementary schools	52.3%		55.9	159^th of 377 public elementary schools	57.8%	27	53.2	61.6		42.6	60.3			$10,040
Tucker Elementary School	Public	K-8	126 East Tucker Circle	Philadelphia	39350	Neshoba County	Tucker Elementary School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(601) 656-8775	131	18	7.1	97.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	131 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about West Lauderdale Elementary School

What schools do graduates of West Lauderdale Elementary School attend?

Students who attend West Lauderdale Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : West Lauderdale Middle School
High : West Lauderdale High School

What is the racial makeup of West Lauderdale Elementary School?

Students at West Lauderdale Elementary School are 80% White, 14% African American, 5% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

Is West Lauderdale Elementary School a good school?

West Lauderdale Elementary School ranks 97^th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Lauderdale Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 725 students attended West Lauderdale Elementary School.

What district is West Lauderdale Elementary School in?

Lauderdale County School 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.