South Pontotoc Elementary School

Q: Is South Pontotoc Elementary School a good school?

South Pontotoc Elementary School ranks 130 th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

South Pontotoc Elementary School is a public K-5 school in Pontotoc, Mississippi, serving 789 students and part of the Pontotoc County School District, which is ranked 26th out of 130 districts in the state.

South Pontotoc Elementary consistently outperforms the state and district averages on standardized tests, particularly in mathematics, with 71.9% of 3rd graders, 59.2% of 4th graders, and 62.5% of 5th graders scoring proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 53.3%, 55%, and 53.7%, respectively. The school also excels in 5th grade science, with 83.3% of students scoring proficient or better, compared to the state average of 71.2%. South Pontotoc Elementary has maintained a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 25% of Mississippi elementary schools for the past several years, and has a relatively low student-teacher ratio ranging from 12.9 to 16.1 students per teacher.

Despite its strong academic performance, South Pontotoc Elementary has a very high percentage of students (over 99%) eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Compared to nearby schools like Thomas Street Elementary and Parkway Elementary in the Tupelo Public School District, South Pontotoc has a higher percentage of African American and Hispanic students, yet still outperforms these schools on standardized tests, suggesting the school is employing effective strategies to support and educate its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public K-5

1523 South Pontotoc Rd
Pontotoc, MS 38863

(662) 489-5941

District: Pontotoc County School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
130^th of 390 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,603

Students who attend South Pontotoc Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	South Pontotoc Middle School
High:	South Pontotoc High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 789

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.0%

Hispanic:

8.2%

African American:

7.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details South Pontotoc Elementary School ranks better than 66.7% of elementary schools in Mississippi. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 66.67. (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 (79%), Hispanic (8.2%), African American (7.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Pontotoc Elementary School is 12.9. (See more...)

Compare South Pontotoc Elementary School employs 61 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Pontotoc Elementary School is $8,603.

Schooldigger Rankings:

South Pontotoc Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Pontotoc County School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Pontotoc County School District 26^th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for South Pontotoc Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MS State Percentile
2008	79.41	65^th	394	83.5%
2009	81.71	53^rd	392	86.5%
2010	79.27	66^th	403	83.6%
2011	73.32	91^st	418	78.2%
2012	71.17	113^th	414	72.7%
2013	76.40	87^th	408	78.7%
2014	68.70	115^th	394	70.8%
2015	54.31	160^th	402	60.2%
2016	74.52	83^rd	394	78.9%
2017	71.17	105^th	406	74.1%
2018	71.71	104^th	404	74.3%
2019	83.55	53^rd	397	86.6%
2021	82.99	54^th	381	85.8%
2022	75.37	86^th	382	77.5%
2023	74.84	80^th	377	78.8%
2024	66.67	130^th	390	66.7%

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 South Pontotoc Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2002	613	68	0	17	n/a	n/a	698
2003	613	68	0	17	n/a	n/a	698
2004	625	69	0	26	n/a	n/a	720
2005	605	68	0	33	n/a	n/a	706
2006	631	86	0	29	n/a	n/a	746
2007	654	76	0	34	n/a	n/a	764
2008	612	82	0	33	n/a	n/a	727
2009	651	63	0	34	0	0	748
2010	666	69	0	42	0	10	787
2011	696	70	1	40	0	6	813
2012	715	76	0	48	0	10	849
2013	722	60	0	46	0	11	839
2014	734	80	0	46	0	10	870
2015	744	59	0	42	0	0	845
2016	745	59	0	53	0	2	859
2017	698	70	0	49	0	17	834
2018	664	61	0	57	0	21	803
2019	636	64	0	62	0	20	782
2020	628	64	0	71	0	28	791
2021	581	67	0	75	0	29	752
2022	601	61	0	66	0	36	764
2023	623	59	0	65	0	42	789

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 South Pontotoc Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	698	45.6	15.3	49.3
2003	698	45.6	15.3	49.3
2004	720	45.3	15.9	60.3
2005	706	39.7	17.8	60.1
2006	746	40.1	18.6	62.9
2007	764	45.3	16.9	61.4
2008	727	46.7	15.6	62.9
2009	748	50.8	14.7	62.6
2010	787	49.8	15.7	68.6
2011	813	48.1	16.9	66.5
2012	849	47.0	18.0	68.2
2013	839	46.6	18.0	69.5
2014	870	48.3	17.9	68.5
2015	845	50.0	16.9	70.1
2016	859	51.0	16.8	70.5
2017	834	47.8	17.4	70.3
2018	803	48.7	16.4	70.4
2019	782	49.5	15.7	69.8
2020	791	45.0	17.5	69.7
2021	752	47.5	15.8	99.6
2022	764	47.3	16.1	99.6
2023	789	61.0	12.9	99.6

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 South Pontotoc Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	698	45.6	15.3	49.3
2003	698	45.6	15.3	49.3
2004	720	45.3	15.9	60.3
2005	706	39.7	17.8	60.1
2006	746	40.1	18.6	62.9
2007	764	45.3	16.9	61.4
2008	727	46.7	15.6	62.9
2009	748	50.8	14.7	62.6
2010	787	49.8	15.7	68.6
2011	813	48.1	16.9	66.5
2012	849	47.0	18.0	68.2
2013	839	46.6	18.0	69.5
2014	870	48.3	17.9	68.5
2015	845	50.0	16.9	70.1
2016	859	51.0	16.8	70.5
2017	834	47.8	17.4	70.3
2018	803	48.7	16.4	70.4
2019	782	49.5	15.7	69.8
2020	791	45.0	17.5	69.7
2021	752	47.5	15.8	99.6
2022	764	47.3	16.1	99.6
2023	789	61.0	12.9	99.6

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 South Pontotoc Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$6,568
2018	$6,934
2019	$7,195
2020	$8,066
2021	$8,330
2022	$8,603

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Pontotoc 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 53^rd of 397 Elementary schools	Ranks 80^th of 377 Elementary schools	7.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Pontotoc Elementary School)	68.6	59.1	9.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pontotoc County School District)	58.8	58.1	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.3	51.6	3.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (South Pontotoc Elementary School)	80.3	80.4	0.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pontotoc County School District)	70	72.5	2.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	51.4	54.8	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Pontotoc Elementary School)	50	59.6	9.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pontotoc County School District)	52.2	57.9	5.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.5	53.4	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (South Pontotoc Elementary School)	64.8	58	6.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pontotoc County School District)	68.3	61	7.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	48.8	56.7	7.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Pontotoc Elementary School)	48.5	49.2	0.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pontotoc County School District)	48.3	49.3	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	43	51.9	8.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (South Pontotoc Elementary School)	62.8	65.9	3.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Pontotoc County School District)	62.4	60.8	1.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	38.9	44.3	5.4%
5th Grade Science (South Pontotoc Elementary School)	81	79.3	1.7%
5th Grade Science (Pontotoc County School District)	76.4	74.8	1.6%
5th Grade Science (Mississippi)	55.9	64.3	8.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	782	789	0.9%
African American	64	59	7.8%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	62	65	4.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	636	623	2%
Two or More Races	20	42	110%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	69.8%	99.6%	29.8%

Schools Near South Pontotoc 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
South Pontotoc Elementary School	Public	K-5	1523 South Pontotoc Rd	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 489-5941	789	61	12.9	99.6%	623 (79.0%)	59 (7.5%)	65 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.3%)	66.7	130^th of 390 public elementary schools	66.7%		74.8	80^th of 377 public elementary schools	78.8%	50	57.4	60.0	44.1	71.9	59.2	62.5	83.3	$8,603
Pontotoc Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	145 Fred Dowdy Street	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 489-4973	613	58	10.5	99.5%	309 (50.4%)	150 (24.5%)	99 (16.2%)	12 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.0%)								(n/a)								$10,326
D T Cox Elementary School	Public	3-4	304 Clark Street	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 489-2454	307	30	10.2	99.0%	148 (48.2%)	96 (31.3%)	47 (15.3%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.6%)	73.7	92^nd of 390 public elementary schools	76.4%		76.9	69^th of 377 public elementary schools	81.7%	23	58.2	61.2		70.1	77.6			$11,660
North Pontotoc Elementary School	Public	K-4	8324 Hwy 15 North	Ecru	38841	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 489-5613	743	56	13.3	99.6%	514 (69.2%)	82 (11.0%)	113 (15.2%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (3.9%)	61.9	147^th of 390 public elementary schools	62.3%		69.9	108^th of 377 public elementary schools	71.4%	39	61.8	56.8		53.9	60.8			$8,868
Parkway Elementary School	Public	K-2	628 Rutherford Road	Tupelo	38801	Lee County	Tupelo Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 844-6303	452	42	10.6	99.3%	98 (21.7%)	264 (58.4%)	38 (8.4%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (10.0%)								(n/a)								$11,273
Thomas Street Elementary School	Public	K-2	520 S Thomas Street	Tupelo	38801	Lee County	Tupelo Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 841-8960	402	43	9.3	99.3%	120 (29.9%)	223 (55.5%)	23 (5.7%)	10 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.5%)								(n/a)								$12,078

Frequently Asked Questions about South Pontotoc Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of South Pontotoc Elementary School?

Students at South Pontotoc Elementary School are 79% White, 8% Hispanic, 7% African American, 5% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of South Pontotoc Elementary School attend?

Students who attend South Pontotoc Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : South Pontotoc Middle School
High : South Pontotoc High School

Is South Pontotoc Elementary School a good school?

South Pontotoc Elementary School ranks 130^th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is South Pontotoc Elementary School in?

Pontotoc County School District

How many students attend South Pontotoc Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 789 students attended South Pontotoc Elementary School.

Rate South Pontotoc Elementary School!

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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.