Sunflower County Schools & Education
Sunflower County, Mississippi
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
7/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
80.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
80.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 87.1%
Per-Pupil Spending
$5,381
National avg $13,239
State avg $5,954
School Score
7/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 27/100
State Score Position
#79
of 81 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Sunflower County
Measured School Summary
Sunflower County faces educational challenges with a school score of 7/100 and a graduation rate of 80.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $5,381 per pupil, Sunflower County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 73% below the Mississippi average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 7.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 10% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Sunflower 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
13 public schools and 1 district 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
7/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #79 of 81 Mississippi counties with school score data.
Completion
80.0%
7.1 pts below the state average
Funding context
$5,381
$573 below the state average
School coverage
13
1 district 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
Sunflower County has 13 public schools across 1 district, 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.
What Sunflower 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.
Dominant-district county
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT carries most of the listed public-school system, with 13 of 13 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#79
of 81 Mississippi counties with school score data. The county score is 20 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.
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Elementary to high school visible
2,929 students
13 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 13 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 Sunflower County?
Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?
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?
Education Overview
About Schools in Sunflower County, Mississippi
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
A Diverse School Network in the Delta
Sunflower County supports 2,929 students across 13 public schools, including a mix of five elementary, four middle, and three high schools. A single consolidated district manages this extensive network, which also includes one alternative school.
Navigating Performance and Investment Challenges
The county reports an 80% graduation rate, trailing both the state average of 87.1% and the national benchmark. Investment follows a similar trend, with per-pupil spending at $5,381, roughly $600 below the Mississippi state average.
Sunflower County Consolidated School District Leads
The Sunflower County Consolidated School District is the sole provider for the region, managing all 13 schools for its nearly 3,000 students. There are no charter schools in the county, focusing all resources on the traditional public district model.
Town-Centered Schools with Small Classrooms
Most students attend schools in town settings, where the average campus size is a modest 266 students. Gentry High School is the largest facility with 488 students, while several smaller elementary and middle schools provide intimate learning environments.
School Overview
Total Schools
13
in Sunflower County
Reported Enrollment
2,929
13 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Sunflower County
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
13 Public Schools in Sunflower County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 13 of 13 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GENTRY HIGH SCHOOL | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | Indianola, 38751Town: Remote | 10–12 | High | 488 |
| ROBERT L MERRITT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | Indianola, 38751Town: Remote | 7–9 | Middle | 410 |
| LOCKARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | Indianola, 38751Town: Remote | KG–3 | Primary | 371 |
| THOMAS E. EDWARDS SR. HIGH SCHOOL | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | RULEVILLE, 38771Town: Remote | 9–12 | High | 336 |
| CARVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | Indianola, 38751Town: Remote | 4–6 | Middle | 301 |
| RULEVILLE CENTRAL ELEM SCHOOL | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | RULEVILLE, 38771Town: Remote | KG–5 | Primary | 269 |
| MOORHEAD CENTRAL SCHOOL | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | Moorhead, 38761Town: Remote | KG–8 | Primary | 215 |
| A W JAMES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | DREW, 38737Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 211 |
| RULEVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | RULEVILLE, 38771Town: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 150 |
| DREW HUNTER MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | DREW, 38737Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 102 |
| ROSSER EARLY LEARNING CENTER | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | Moorhead, 38761Town: Remote | PK–KG | Primary | 76 |
| INDIANOLA ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | Indianola, 38751Town: Remote | KG–12 | Alternative | 0 |
| INDIANOLA CAREER & TECH CENTER | Record | SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT | Indianola, 38751Town: Remote | 10–12 | Vocational | 0 |
GENTRY HIGH SCHOOL
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Indianola, 38751 / Town: Remote
ROBERT L MERRITT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Indianola, 38751 / Town: Remote
LOCKARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Indianola, 38751 / Town: Remote
THOMAS E. EDWARDS SR. HIGH SCHOOL
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
RULEVILLE, 38771 / Town: Remote
CARVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Indianola, 38751 / Town: Remote
RULEVILLE CENTRAL ELEM SCHOOL
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
RULEVILLE, 38771 / Town: Remote
MOORHEAD CENTRAL SCHOOL
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Moorhead, 38761 / Town: Remote
A W JAMES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
DREW, 38737 / Rural: Distant
RULEVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
RULEVILLE, 38771 / Town: Remote
DREW HUNTER MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
DREW, 38737 / Rural: Distant
ROSSER EARLY LEARNING CENTER
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Moorhead, 38761 / Town: Remote
INDIANOLA ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Indianola, 38751 / Town: Remote
INDIANOLA CAREER & TECH CENTER
SUNFLOWER CTY CONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Indianola, 38751 / Town: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$5,381
State avg $5,954
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Sunflower County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Mississippi counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Mississippi?
How should I read the school score in Sunflower County?
What is the graduation rate in Sunflower County?
How much does Sunflower County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Sunflower County, Mississippi — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Sunflower County, Mississippi?
Sunflower County supports 2,929 students across 13 public schools, including a mix of five elementary, four middle, and three high schools. A single consolidated district manages this extensive network, which also includes one alternative school.
How do schools in Sunflower County perform academically?
The county reports an 80% graduation rate, trailing both the state average of 87.1% and the national benchmark. Investment follows a similar trend, with per-pupil spending at $5,381, roughly $600 below the Mississippi state average.
What are the major school districts in Sunflower County, Mississippi?
The Sunflower County Consolidated School District is the sole provider for the region, managing all 13 schools for its nearly 3,000 students. There are no charter schools in the county, focusing all resources on the traditional public district model.
What is the school experience like in Sunflower County?
Most students attend schools in town settings, where the average campus size is a modest 266 students. Gentry High School is the largest facility with 488 students, while several smaller elementary and middle schools provide intimate learning environments.
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.