Can I use Lauderdale County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Lauderdale County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Lauderdale County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Lauderdale County?

Start with the 22 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Lauderdale County Schools & Education

Name: Lauderdale County, Mississippi Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Lauderdale County, Mississippi

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

22/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

86.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

86.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 87.1%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,082

National avg $13,239

State avg $5,954

School Score

22/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 27/100

State Score Position

#49

of 81 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Lauderdale County

Measured School Summary

Lauderdale County faces educational challenges with a school score of 22/100 and a graduation rate of 86.1%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,082 per pupil, Lauderdale County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 17% below the Mississippi average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 1.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 2% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Lauderdale County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

22 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

22/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #49 of 81 Mississippi counties with school score data.

Completion

86.1%

1.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,082

$128 above the state average

School coverage

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Lauderdale County has 22 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Lauderdale County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Review-carefully county

Lauderdale County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#49

of 81 Mississippi counties with school score data. The county score is 5 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Elementary to high school visible

5,910 students

Elementary 4Middle 3High 4Other 0

11 listed schools in this county slice.

MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary to high school visible

4,614 students

Elementary 6Middle 2High 2Other 1

11 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST is the largest listed district slice, with 11 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Lauderdale County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Lauderdale County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Lauderdale County Per-Pupil Spending Exceeds Mississippi Average

Education data brief for Lauderdale County, Mississippi.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

In Lauderdale County, per-pupil expenditure is reported at $6,082, which is higher than the Mississippi state average of $5,954. Despite this relative local standing, the figure remains well below the national average of $13,000. The county maintains 22 public schools divided between two main districts: the Lauderdale County School District, with 11 schools and 5,910 students, and Meridian Public Schools, with 11 schools and 4,614 students. Meridian High School is the largest single school, enrolling 1,301 students. The county's graduation rate of 86.1% is slightly lower than both the state average of 87.1% and the national average of 87.0%. The composite school score is 22.4, trailing the state average of 26.9 and the national median of 50.0. The school directory highlights a mix of 12 town-based schools and 10 rural schools, with no charter school presence recorded. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Lauderdale County

Reported Enrollment

10,524

22 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary10

Middle5

High6

Other1

2 School Districts in Lauderdale County

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

22 Public Schools in Lauderdale County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 22 matching schools

Public schools in Lauderdale County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MERIDIAN, 39305Town: Remote	9–12	High	1,301
NORTHEAST LAUDERDALE ELEMENTARY	Record	LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST	Meridian, 39305Town: Remote	PK–4	Primary	699
WEST LAUDERDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST	Meridian, 39305Rural: Distant	PK–4	Primary	687
NORTHEAST LAUDERDALE HIGH SCHOOL	Record	LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST	Meridian, 39305Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	642
WEST LAUDERDALE HIGH SCHOOL	Record	LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST	Collinsville, 39325Rural: Distant	9–12	High	589
NORTHWEST JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Record	MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MERIDIAN, 39307Town: Remote	6–8	Middle	566
NORTHEAST LAUDERDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST	Meridain, 39305Town: Remote	5–8	Middle	565
WEST LAUDERDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST	Collinsville, 39325Rural: Distant	5–8	Middle	525
CLARKDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST	Meridian, 39031Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	520
SOUTHEAST LAUDERDALE ELEMENTARY	Record	LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST	Meridian, 39301Rural: Distant	PK–4	Primary	503
WEST HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MERIDIAN, 39307Town: Remote	PK–5	Primary	478
T J HARRIS ELEMENTARY	Record	MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MERIDIAN, 39307Town: Remote	PK–5	Primary	434
MAGNOLIA MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MERIDIAN, 39305Town: Remote	6–8	Middle	428
CLARKDALE HIGH SCHOOL	Record	LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST	Meridian, 39301Rural: Distant	7–12	High	419
POPLAR SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MERIDIAN, 39305Town: Remote	PK–5	Primary	412
PARKVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MERIDIAN, 39305Town: Remote	PK–5	Primary	408
SOUTHEAST LAUDERDALE HIGH SCHOOL	Record	LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST	Meridian, 39301Rural: Distant	9–12	High	396
SOUTHEAST LAUDERDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST	Meridian, 39301Rural: Distant	5–8	Middle	365
OAKLAND HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MERIDIAN, 39307Town: Remote	PK–5	Primary	328
CRESTWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	Meridian, 39301Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	259

MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL

MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MERIDIAN, 39305 / Town: Remote

Profile9–12High1,301 students

NORTHEAST LAUDERDALE ELEMENTARY

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Meridian, 39305 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary699 students

WEST LAUDERDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Meridian, 39305 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary687 students

NORTHEAST LAUDERDALE HIGH SCHOOL

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Meridian, 39305 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High642 students

WEST LAUDERDALE HIGH SCHOOL

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Collinsville, 39325 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High589 students

NORTHWEST JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MERIDIAN, 39307 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle566 students

NORTHEAST LAUDERDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Meridain, 39305 / Town: Remote

Record5–8Middle565 students

WEST LAUDERDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Collinsville, 39325 / Rural: Distant

Record5–8Middle525 students

CLARKDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Meridian, 39031 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary520 students

SOUTHEAST LAUDERDALE ELEMENTARY

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Meridian, 39301 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary503 students

WEST HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MERIDIAN, 39307 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary478 students

T J HARRIS ELEMENTARY

MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MERIDIAN, 39307 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary434 students

MAGNOLIA MIDDLE SCHOOL

MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MERIDIAN, 39305 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle428 students

CLARKDALE HIGH SCHOOL

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Meridian, 39301 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High419 students

POPLAR SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MERIDIAN, 39305 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary412 students

PARKVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MERIDIAN, 39305 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary408 students

SOUTHEAST LAUDERDALE HIGH SCHOOL

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Meridian, 39301 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High396 students

SOUTHEAST LAUDERDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL

LAUDERDALE CO SCHOOL DIST

Meridian, 39301 / Rural: Distant

Record5–8Middle365 students

OAKLAND HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MERIDIAN, 39307 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary328 students

CRESTWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MERIDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Meridian, 39301 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary259 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,082

State avg $5,954

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Lauderdale County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Mississippi counties have the highest graduation rates?

Holmes County (97.0%), Montgomery County (97.0%), and Quitman County (97.0%) currently lead Mississippi among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Mississippi?

Across Mississippi counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $5,954. The highest current county values are Choctaw County ($8,216), Kemper County ($7,706), and Franklin County ($7,289). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Lauderdale County?

Lauderdale County has a school score of 22/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Lauderdale County?

The high school graduation rate in Lauderdale County is 86.1%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Lauderdale County spend per student?

Lauderdale County spends $6,082 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Newton County

Mississippi

0 pts

22/100

School score

Pontotoc County

Mississippi

-0 pts

22/100

School score

Itawamba County

Mississippi

-1 pts

22/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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