Enrollment
251
Elementary
DISTRICT 274 · STATE 446
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WEST TALLAHATCHIE SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 280465000872
R.H. Bearden Elementary
6442 Friendship Road West, SUMNER, MS 38957 · (662) 375-8304 · Tallahatchie County
GRADES KG–06ELEMENTARY43-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL251 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
21.0:1
12 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.2:1 · STATE 15.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
248 students
DISTRICT 99% · STATE 80%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
R.H. Bearden Elementary→West Tallahatchie High School
Based on grade levels within West Tallahatchie School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
MAAP 2024-25 . % Proficient + AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
27.0%
MS avg 45.9% . +4.2pp since 2023
Math
41.9%
MS avg 52.8% . +7.7pp since 2023
What this means: On the MAAP, Mississippi's statewide test, about 27 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 42 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Mississippi schools, those numbers are about 46 and 53. Reading and writing scores are up about 4 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 8 points.
Source: MAAP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
33.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
44.7%
based on MS schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-11.4pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 33% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 45% typical for Mississippi schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Mississippi's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
251
-190 (-43%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
21.0:1
was 13.1:1
% White
1%
was 1%
% Hispanic
1%
was 0%
% Black
95%
was 98%
% Asian
0%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About R.H. Bearden Elementary
R.H. Bearden Elementary is an intimate K-5 school in SUMNER, Mississippi, one of the schools within West Tallahatchie School District. The school works with 251 students in grades K through 6. Compared to the state average of about 446 students per school, that is 44% below typical.
R.H. Bearden Elementary is one of 2 schools operated by West Tallahatchie School District, a district that teaches 548 students overall.
For racial and ethnic makeup, R.H. Bearden Elementary lists that 95% of students identify as Black, making the school strongly Black-majority. Beyond that, the school records 3% multiracial. By comparison, Tallahatchie County as a whole is about 61% Black, so the school skews considerably more Black than its surroundings.
On the resource side, The school reports having 12 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 21.0:1. The state averages around 15.9:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 99% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.
On a demographically-adjusted basis, R.H. Bearden Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 44.7%; this one delivers 33.3%.
In the area at large, Tallahatchie County reports that the typical household earns roughly $37,466 per year, about 12% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 20% of residents live below the federal poverty line. R.H. Bearden Elementary is one of 7 public schools in Tallahatchie County (combined enrollment of about 1,345 students).
Nearest neighbor: West Tallahatchie High School, around 1.6 miles off.
R.H. Bearden Elementary operates from a low-density location.
Looking at the recent track record. R.H. Bearden Elementary's enrollment has fell 43% since 2018, when it stood at 441 (now 251). The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 13.1:1 in 2018 to 21.0:1 today.
Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the R.H. Bearden Elementary community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.
Tallahatchie County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
11,764
Census ACS
Median income
$37,466
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
12%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
20%
Below federal line
Schools in county
7
1,345 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in West Tallahatchie School District
- West Tallahatchie High SchoolHigh · 297 students
- NORTH DELTA ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLHigh
Nearby schools
- West Tallahatchie High School1.6 mi · 297
- Drew Hunter Middle13.7 mi · 82
- A.W. James Elementary14.4 mi · 219
- Quitman County Elementary17.0 mi · 331
- Charleston Elementary School18.8 mi · 316
- Ruleville Central Elementary18.9 mi · 271
Frequently asked questions
About R.H. Bearden ElementaryHow large is R.H. Bearden Elementary?
R.H. Bearden Elementary enrolls approximately 251 students in grades KG-06.
What grades does R.H. Bearden Elementary serve?
R.H. Bearden Elementary serves grades KG-06.
How many teachers does R.H. Bearden Elementary have?
R.H. Bearden Elementary employs 12 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 21.0:1.
What is the student diversity at R.H. Bearden Elementary?
Student demographics at R.H. Bearden Elementary are roughly 1% White, 1% Hispanic, 95% Black, 3% Two or more.
Who oversees R.H. Bearden Elementary?
R.H. Bearden Elementary is overseen by West Tallahatchie School District in Tallahatchie County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.