DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST

DeSoto County School District operates 42 schools serving 35,003 students in suburban Mississippi. The district experienced 1.6% enrollment growth from the prior year, with a relatively favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.8:1 supported by 2,367 teachers.

Academic performance shows mixed results against state benchmarks. Math proficiency reaches 61.5%, exceeding Mississippi's state average of 50.1% by 11.4 percentage points. Reading proficiency stands at 51.1%, outpacing the state average of 43.0% by 8.1 percentage points. The graduation rate of 97.0% substantially exceeds the state average of 88.0%, indicating strong completion rates. However, chronic absenteeism at 31.6% represents a notable concern requiring attention.

Approximately 50.3% of students qualify as economically disadvantaged, reflecting significant socioeconomic challenges within the student population. The district operates with per-pupil spending of $9,863, which falls below the state average of $12,810. This funding gap exists despite a total budget of $345.2 million, derived from federal sources (15.1%), state funding (52.1%), and local revenue (32.8%).

The district's funding structure demonstrates moderate local revenue capacity at 32.8%, with the majority of support coming from state allocations. The combination of above-average academic outcomes in core subjects and an exceptionally high graduation rate contrasts with below-average per-pupil spending and elevated chronic absenteeism rates, suggesting varying performance across different operational metrics.