D.M. Smith Elementary

Set in CLEVELAND, Mississippi, D.M. Smith Elementary is a compact elementary school, part of Cleveland School District. It works with 233 students across grades 3 through 6. Enrollment runs roughly 48% smaller than the state mean of about 446.

Cleveland School District comprises 8 schools with combined enrollment of 2,793 students; D.M. Smith Elementary is among them.

In terms of who attends, D.M. Smith Elementary records that the student body is overwhelmingly Black (94%). Beyond that, the school reports 5% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 63% Black, putting the school's mix considerably more Black than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, The school lists 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.9:1, putting D.M. Smith Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. About 100% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), D.M. Smith Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 44.3% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 38.5%.

In the surrounding community, Bolivar County reports that median household income runs about $39,585, about 28% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 27%. Across Bolivar County's 19 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,415 students), D.M. Smith Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Cleveland Central Middle School, roughly 0.2 miles away. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

D.M. Smith Elementary operates from a town-based location.

Trend over the last 7 years. D.M. Smith Elementary's enrollment has contracted 35% since 2018, when it stood at 361 (now 233). Over the same period, the Black share shrank from 99% to 94%. Class-load math has tightened: from 17.4:1 in 2018 to 12.8:1 in 2025.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.