DeSoto Central Elementary

DeSoto Central Elementary, a heavily attended elementary campus in SOUTHAVEN, Mississippi, overseen by DeSoto County School District, caters to 831 students, covering grades 3 through 5. That puts it 86% larger than the typical public school in Mississippi, which averages around 446 students.

Across the 39 schools in DeSoto County School District (34,934 students total), DeSoto Central Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, DeSoto Central Elementary shows that 44% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school shows 32% White, 11% Hispanic, 8% multiracial, 5% Asian. That is considerably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 33%.

On the resource side, The school reports having 52 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 16.1:1. That tracks the state average closely. An estimated 45% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (DeSoto County) shows that median household income runs about $85,297, roughly 29% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across DeSoto County's 43 public schools (combined enrollment of about 34,934 students), DeSoto Central Elementary is one campus in the mix.

DeSoto Central Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies an outer-ring site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 12%: 745 students in 2018 compared to 831 in 2025. The White share of enrollment shrank from 56% to 32% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 19.0:1 in 2018 to 16.1:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the feed for DeSoto Central Elementary typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.