Poplar Springs Elementary

Poplar Springs Elementary, a moderately sized elementary-level community in Meridian, Mississippi, run under Meridian Public Schools, works with 405 students, covering grades K through 5.

Within Meridian Public Schools, which oversees 9 schools and 4,385 students, Poplar Springs Elementary is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Poplar Springs Elementary lists that 84% of students identify as Black, making the school strongly Black-majority. The remainder breaks down as 8% White, 4% multiracial, 3% Hispanic. By comparison, Lauderdale County as a whole is about 41% Black, so the school skews visibly more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.6:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 15.9:1 average. Roughly 100% of students at Poplar Springs Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Lauderdale County runs at roughly 75%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Poplar Springs Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 44.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 47.3%.

In the broader community, census data for Lauderdale County shows the typical household earns roughly $50,817 per year, about 24% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 19%. Poplar Springs Elementary is one of 24 public schools in Lauderdale County (combined enrollment of about 10,325 students).

Nearest neighbor: Meridian High School, around 0.8 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

Poplar Springs Elementary operates from a town-based location.

Five-year trend. Poplar Springs Elementary's enrollment has edged down 14% since 2018, when it stood at 473 (now 405). The White share of enrollment decreased from 28% to 8% over that span.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.