Clarkdale Elementary School

Located at 7000 Highway 145, in Meridian, Mississippi, Clarkdale Elementary School is a mid-tier elementary school that educates 527 students (grades pre-K through 6), operated by Lauderdale County School District.

Within Lauderdale County School District, which oversees 11 schools and 5,940 students, Clarkdale Elementary School is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Clarkdale Elementary School reports that nearly all students (83%) are White; the rest consists of 9% Black, 6% multiracial. That is noticeably more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 51%.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.5:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.9:1, putting Clarkdale Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 45% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Lauderdale County (around 75%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

After controlling for student poverty, Clarkdale Elementary School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 71.6%, the actual is 77.4%, a residual of +5.8 points.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Lauderdale County put median household income runs about $50,817, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 19%. Across Lauderdale County's 24 public schools (combined enrollment of about 10,325 students), Clarkdale Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Clarkdale High School, around 0.0 miles off. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged up 38%: 383 students in 2018 compared to 527 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 89% to 83% over that span.

On this page, members of the Clarkdale Elementary School community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.