PlainTeacher

School district · Mississippi · LEAID 2802460

Laurel School District

Laurel School District is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Mississippi districts (2,712 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Laurel School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$48,385
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$17,294
Per-pupil spending
2,712
Students enrolled
21st
Pct. in MS
$48,385

Laurel School District is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Mississippi districts (2,712 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $48,385, below the national average of $70,245, serving 2,712 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Laurel School District is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Mississippi districts (2,712 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 21st percentile for Mississippi
  • 11th percentile nationally
  • 23% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Mississippi ranks #45 of 49 on the salary estimate and #33 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Laurel School District ranks #109 of 138 Mississippi districts by estimated teacher salary and #29 of 138 by per-pupil spending. Forrest County Ag High School pay #1 at $76,198 is not Kemper Co School Dist spending #1 at $25,476 per pupil
  • +14.7% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

Keep this district in your shortlist

Save it in this browser, then return when PlainTeacher adds a newer public-data release. No account or personal details required.

View saved

Instructional payroll mix vs Mississippi median

Among 138 Mississippi districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Laurel School District's instructional payroll puts 3.7% into vocational programs , 2.8 points below the state median of 6.6%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Laurel School MS median Gap
Regular program 75.8% 73.2% +2.6 pp
Special education 14.1% 14.4% -0.3 pp
Vocational programs 3.7% 6.6% -2.8 pp
Other programs 6.3% 4.8% +1.6 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 138 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2802460 · FY2023.

LEAID 2802460 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Laurel School F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-BELOW -6% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P21 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P11 national PPE-MID $17K/pupil ENR-MID 2,712 students INSTR-LOW 23% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Attala FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $48,385 estimated average teacher salary · P21 in Mississippi · P11 nationally · 23% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Greenwood-leflore ($265est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Laurel School

Salary neighbourhood · Laurel School

Laurel School trails most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Laurel School

Laurel School District's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$48,385 11th percentile higher than 11% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). This entry sits in this band. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Above this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Laurel School District $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Laurel School in Mississippi's lower-third pay band

Same 138 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Laurel School District ranks #109 of 138 Mississippi districts by estimated teacher salary and #29 of 138 by per-pupil spending. Forrest County Ag High School pay #1 at $76,198 is not Kemper Co School Dist spending #1 at $25,476 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Laurel School District is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Kemper Co School Dist leads spending at $25,476 per pupil; Forrest County Ag High School leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Laurel School District

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +14.7% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Mississippi's statewide +28.6% by 13.9 points, a growth rate faster than 5% of the 136 Mississippi districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 3,171 to 2,712 students (14.5% down) across FY2019–FY2023 while the instructional salary pool per teacher went up. Districts on that path are usually holding staffing steady against a falling roll, which lifts the per-teacher figure without anyone getting a raise, so read this page's salary estimate alongside the enrolment line rather than on its own.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$48,384.538

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Mississippi price level
86.8 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$55,748

+15% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Mississippi run below the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. A district in a costlier state can advertise a larger nominal salary and still leave a teacher with less.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Mississippi compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Laurel School District

What the Numbers Say About Laurel School District

Laurel School District is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Mississippi, serving 2,712 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $17,294. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $48,385, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2802460 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Mississippi statewide average of $51,325, teacher pay in Laurel School District runs materially below the state benchmark, a 5.7% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (31.1% differential). Among enrolling districts in Mississippi, it pays more than 21% of them. Mississippi itself ranks #45 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Laurel School District reports $46.9M in total expenditure against $48.1M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 23% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $6.9M, special-education teacher pay is $1.3M.

How does Laurel School District compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Mississippi average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Laurel School District $48,385
Desoto Co School Dist $50,476
Mississippi avg $51,325
National avg $70,245

Laurel School District pays -4.1% less than Desoto Co School Dist · per-pupil $17,294 vs $11,403

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Mississippi districts

Attala Co School Dist is Laurel School District's nearest match on both pay and per-pupil investment, which is uncommon: the two signals point at different districts for roughly 98% of districts. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Attala Co School Dist
  2. South Pike School Dist
  3. Marion Co School Dist
  4. Greenwood-leflore Cons Sch District
  5. Philadelphia Public School Dist
  6. Walthall Co School Dist
  7. Marshall Co School Dist
  8. Picayune School District
  9. East Tallahatchie Consol Sch Dist
  10. Tishomingo Co Sp Mun Sch Dist
  11. Holly Springs School Dist
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Attala Co School Dist
  2. Bay St Louis Waveland School Dist
  3. Forrest County School District
  4. Pass Christian Public School Dist
  5. Aberdeen School Dist
  6. Oxford School District
  7. Yazoo Co School Dist
  8. Pascagoula-gautier School District
  9. Cleveland School Dist
  10. Wilkinson Co School Dist
  11. Hattiesburg Public School Dist

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Laurel School District's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Laurel School District: closest on enrollment (2,712 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($48,385 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$48.1M
Total Revenue
$46.9M
Total Expenditure
$10.9M
Instruction Salaries
23% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$6.9M
Regular Program
$1.3M
Special Education
$0.3M
Vocational
$0.6M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Laurel School District: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 84% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 16% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Mississippi Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Mississippi districts belongs to Forrest County Ag High School at $76,198. Placed 108 of 137, Laurel School District is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. Arkansas and South Dakota are the states closest to Mississippi on BEA's price parity, which makes them the fair comparison; against a costlier state this salary goes further than its number suggests.

View all Mississippi districts →

Other Mississippi Districts

Smaller-district sample from 137 Mississippi peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Forrest County School District
$45,925
2,129 students
Kosciusko School District
$47,330
2,123 students
Monroe Co School Dist
$50,867
2,119 students
Clarksdale Municipal School Dist
$51,091
2,118 students
New Albany Public Schools
$56,067
2,114 students
Calhoun Co School Dist
$44,607
2,080 students

This is a sample of 6 from 137 Mississippi districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Laurel School District
What is the average teacher salary in Laurel School District?

The average teacher salary in Laurel School District is $48,385 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Laurel School District teacher pay compare to the Mississippi average?

Laurel School District pays 5.7% less than the Mississippi state average of $51,325. The district's average is $48,385.

How does Laurel School District teacher pay compare to the national average?

Laurel School District pays 31.1% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $48,385.

What is the per-pupil spending in Laurel School District?

Laurel School District spends approximately $17,294 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Laurel School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 23% of Laurel School District's total expenditure of $46.9M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Laurel School District
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

Cite, share, embed & editorial notes

Share this district data

Download a sourced data card or share the canonical district profile.

X Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Email
Embed this widget

Copy this snippet to embed a live-linked card on your own site.

Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Laurel School District's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.