Pontotoc High School

Q: Is Pontotoc High School a good school?

Pontotoc High School ranks 108 th of 228 Mississippi high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Pontotoc High School is a public high school serving 659 students in grades 9-12 in Pontotoc, Mississippi. It is part of the Pontotoc County School District, which is ranked 28 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Pontotoc High School has a more diverse student population compared to some nearby schools, with 50.53% White, 28.38% African American, and 16.69% Hispanic students. Its test scores, as measured by the MAAP exams, are generally higher than the state average and Shannon High School, but lower than top-performing schools like New Albany High School and South Pontotoc High School. Pontotoc High School's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 46th out of 231 Mississippi high schools in 2015-2016 to 124th out of 226 in 2014-2015, and is currently ranked 108th out of 228 with a 3-star rating.

Pontotoc High School faces some challenges, including an exceptionally high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 99.53% to 99.54% over the past three school years. Additionally, the school's racial diversity has become less diverse over the past few years, with the percentage of White students increasing from 54.95% in 2020-2021 to 50.53% in 2022-2023. While Pontotoc High School's performance is generally stronger than Shannon High School, it lags behind the top-performing schools in the region, such as New Albany High School and South Pontotoc High School.

Detail:

Public 9-12

123 North Main Street
Pontotoc, MS 38863

(662) 489-1275

District: Pontotoc City Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
108^th of 228 Mississippi High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,487

Feeder schools for Pontotoc High School:

Elementary:	D T Cox Elementary School
	Pontotoc Elementary School
Middle:	Pontotoc Junior High School
	Pontotoc Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

Number of students: 713

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.9%

African American:

30.3%

Hispanic:

20.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72.2%

See top rated Mississippi high schools

Compare Pontotoc High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pontotoc High School ranks better than 52.6% of high schools in Mississippi. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.07. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Pontotoc High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 Student population at Pontotoc High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (45.9%), African American (30.3%), Hispanic (20.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 72.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pontotoc High School is 15.7. (See more...)

Compare Pontotoc High School employs 45.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pontotoc High School is $10,487.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Pontotoc High School 108^th of 228 Mississippi public high schools. (See Pontotoc High School in the ranking list.)

Pontotoc City Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Pontotoc City Schools 28^th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Pontotoc High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MS State Percentile
2004	81.35	4^th	232	98.3%
2005	80.73	8^th	232	96.6%
2006	75.95	20^th	232	91.4%
2007	73.82	44^th	232	81.0%
2008	55.60	117^th	235	50.2%
2009	65.78	81^st	235	65.5%
2010	64.26	86^th	235	63.4%
2011	65.58	72^nd	244	70.5%
2012	60.23	95^th	241	60.6%
2013	70.98	58^th	238	75.6%
2014	64.21	78^th	236	66.9%
2015	40.85	124^th	226	45.1%
2016	72.48	46^th	231	80.1%
2017	69.27	61^st	237	74.3%
2018	68.64	61^st	233	73.8%
2019	48.60	113^th	233	51.5%
2021	65.05	77^th	231	66.7%
2022	54.40	108^th	228	52.6%
2023	50.52	119^th	226	47.3%
2024	54.07	108^th	228	52.6%

See the entire list of Mississippi High 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 Pontotoc High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	324	136	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	461
1991	333	164	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	499
1992	348	156	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	504
1993	351	155	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	507
1994	353	168	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	522
1995	376	168	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	546
1996	376	168	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	546
1997	385	147	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	536
1998	405	140	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	547
1999	408	150	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	559
2000	402	163	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	568
2001	390	151	3	7	0	n/a	n/a	551
2002	425	155	2	9	0	n/a	n/a	591
2003	425	155	2	9	0	n/a	n/a	591
2004	421	159	3	14	0	n/a	n/a	597
2005	430	166	4	16	0	n/a	n/a	616
2006	457	187	5	16	0	n/a	n/a	665
2007	433	187	6	14	0	n/a	n/a	640
2008	444	189	3	15	0	n/a	n/a	651
2009	449	180	3	26	0	0	0	658
2010	453	207	1	24	0	0	0	685
2011	435	198	3	27	0	0	0	663
2012	441	203	3	25	0	0	3	675
2013	429	197	2	33	0	0	2	663
2014	420	182	3	38	0	0	3	646
2015	415	179	2	33	1	0	9	639
2016	400	186	2	38	0	0	10	636
2017	406	197	1	43	0	0	12	659
2018	365	206	1	54	0	0	8	634
2019	339	226	0	67	0	0	9	641
2020	372	218	0	70	0	0	13	673
2021	350	194	3	79	0	0	11	637
2022	346	193	5	96	0	0	12	652
2023	333	187	5	110	0	0	24	659
2024	327	216	4	143	1	0	22	713

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 Pontotoc High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	461	23.9	19.2	n/a
1991	499	22.6	22.0	n/a
1992	504	22.9	22.0	32.5
1993	507	25.8	19.7	34.3
1994	522	25.0	20.9	33.9
1995	546	26.9	20.3	33.9
1996	546	26.9	20.3	33.9
1997	536	28.2	19.0	34.9
1998	547	30.8	17.8	35.1
1999	559	32.5	17.2	41.5
2000	568	31.9	17.8	41.7
2001	551	32.5	17.0	43.6
2002	591	32.6	18.1	45.7
2003	591	32.6	18.1	45.7
2004	597	33.7	17.7	36.7
2005	616	31.8	19.4	36
2006	665	31.4	21.2	38
2007	640	33.4	19.2	43
2008	651	36.3	17.9	47.8
2009	658	36.2	18.2	48.9
2010	685	35.4	19.3	54.6
2011	663	36.3	18.2	52.9
2012	675	36.0	18.7	53.8
2013	663	37.9	17.4	57.3
2014	646	38.8	16.6	56.5
2015	639	40.0	15.9	53.7
2016	636	40.0	15.9	53.9
2017	659	40.1	16.4	54
2018	634	40.4	15.6	57.4
2019	641	42.1	15.2	60.2
2020	673	42.5	15.8	63
2021	637	44.4	14.3	99.5
2022	652	45.2	14.3	99.5
2023	659	45.6	14.4	99.5
2024	713	45.2	15.7	72.2

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 Pontotoc High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	461	23.9	19.2	n/a
1991	499	22.6	22.0	n/a
1992	504	22.9	22.0	32.5
1993	507	25.8	19.7	34.3
1994	522	25.0	20.9	33.9
1995	546	26.9	20.3	33.9
1996	546	26.9	20.3	33.9
1997	536	28.2	19.0	34.9
1998	547	30.8	17.8	35.1
1999	559	32.5	17.2	41.5
2000	568	31.9	17.8	41.7
2001	551	32.5	17.0	43.6
2002	591	32.6	18.1	45.7
2003	591	32.6	18.1	45.7
2004	597	33.7	17.7	36.7
2005	616	31.8	19.4	36
2006	665	31.4	21.2	38
2007	640	33.4	19.2	43
2008	651	36.3	17.9	47.8
2009	658	36.2	18.2	48.9
2010	685	35.4	19.3	54.6
2011	663	36.3	18.2	52.9
2012	675	36.0	18.7	53.8
2013	663	37.9	17.4	57.3
2014	646	38.8	16.6	56.5
2015	639	40.0	15.9	53.7
2016	636	40.0	15.9	53.9
2017	659	40.1	16.4	54
2018	634	40.4	15.6	57.4
2019	641	42.1	15.2	60.2
2020	673	42.5	15.8	63
2021	637	44.4	14.3	99.5
2022	652	45.2	14.3	99.5
2023	659	45.6	14.4	99.5
2024	713	45.2	15.7	72.2

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 Pontotoc High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$8,336
2018	$9,026
2019	$8,518
2020	$9,402
2021	$9,403
2022	$10,487

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pontotoc High 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 113^th of 233 High schools	Ranks 119^th of 226 High schools	4.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Algebra I (Pontotoc High School)	37.3	56.3	19%
End of Course Algebra I (Pontotoc City Schools)	44.7	60.7	16%
End of Course Algebra I (Mississippi)	49.3	65.8	16.5%
End of Course English II (Pontotoc High School)	44.7	43.2	1.5%
End of Course English II (Pontotoc City Schools)	44.7	43.2	1.5%
End of Course English II (Mississippi)	43.9	50.1	6.2%
End of Course Biology (Pontotoc High School)	57.4	62.5	5.1%
End of Course Biology (Pontotoc City Schools)	57.4	62.5	5.1%
End of Course Biology (Mississippi)	57.2	60.9	3.7%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Pontotoc High School)	68.9	79.3	10.4%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Pontotoc City Schools)	68.9	79.3	10.4%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Mississippi)	55.5	71.4	15.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	641	659	2.8%
African American	226	187	17.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	5
Hispanic	67	110	64.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	339	333	1.8%
Two or More Races	9	24	166.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.2%	99.5%	39.3%

Schools Near Pontotoc High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAAP Algebra I (2024)	MAAP English II (2024)	MAAP Biology (2024)	MAAP U.S. History1 (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 Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Biology End of Course	MAAP U.S. History1 End of Course	Total
Pontotoc High School	Public	9-12	123 North Main Street	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 489-1275	713	45	15.7	72.2%	327 (45.9%)	216 (30.3%)	143 (20.1%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.1%)	54.1	108^th of 228 public high schools	52.6%		50.5	119^th of 226 public high schools	47.3%	11	64.7	49.1	65.4	66.4	$10,487
Pontotoc Ridge Career & Technical County	Public	9-12	354 Center Ridge Drive	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 489-1826	0	12	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Pontotoc County Alternative Program	Public	5-12	354 Center Ridge Drive	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 489-4812	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
South Pontotoc High School	Public	9-12	1523 South Pontotoc Rd	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 489-5925	447	32	13.8	54.6%	373 (83.4%)	31 (6.9%)	31 (6.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	70.5	63^rd of 228 public high schools	72.4%		62	85^th of 226 public high schools	62.4%	22	76.0	49.6	76.5	77.4	$13,375
North Pontotoc High School	Public	9-12	8324 Hwy 15 North	Ecru	38841	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 489-5612	520	38	13.7	58.1%	371 (71.3%)	58 (11.2%)	82 (15.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.2%)	66.9	76^th of 228 public high schools	66.7%		65.9	71^st of 226 public high schools	68.6%	5	72.2	43.8	68.5	86.2	$13,313
Lee County Career & Technical School	Public	9-12	221 Honeycomb Way	Tupelo	38801	Lee County	Lee County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 432-1090	0	8	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Tupelo High School	Public	9-12	4125 Golden Wave Drive	Tupelo	38801	Lee County	Tupelo Public School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 841-8970	2,101	133	15.7	59.4%	727 (34.6%)	1,060 (50.5%)	168 (8.0%)	44 (2.1%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	99 (4.7%)	51.9	116^th of 228 public high schools	49.1%		63.1	81^st of 226 public high schools	64.2%	35	58.1	50.0	59.3	72.2	$12,028
Tupelo Lee County Vocational Technical School	Public	9-12	4125 Golden Wave Drive	Tupelo	38801	Lee County	Tupelo Public School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 841-8990	0	17	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
New Albany High School	Public	9-12	201 Highway 15 North	New Albany	38652	Union County	New Albany Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(662) 534-1805	596	32	18.5	48.0%	302 (50.7%)	159 (26.7%)	91 (15.3%)	13 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.0%)	74	53^rd of 228 public high schools	76.8%		66.4	68^th of 226 public high schools	69.9%	15	76.3	52.5	74.7	80.6	$13,744
School Of Career And Technical Educational	Public	9-12	203 Highway 15 North	New Albany	38652	Union County	New Albany Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(662) 534-1810	0	12	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Pontotoc High School

What schools feed into Pontotoc High School?

Pontotoc High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : D T Cox Elementary School
Elementary : Pontotoc Elementary School
Middle : Pontotoc Junior High School
Middle : Pontotoc Middle School

How many students attend Pontotoc High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 713 students attended Pontotoc High School.

Is Pontotoc High School a good school?

Pontotoc High School ranks 108^th of 228 Mississippi high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Pontotoc High School?

Students at Pontotoc High School are 46% White, 30% African American, 20% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Pontotoc High School in?

Pontotoc City Schools

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Schools in Pontotoc, MS

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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.