Enrollment
1,224
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Berea, KY
Madison Southern High School
Federal NCES profile for Madison Southern High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210372001594
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Madison Southern High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Kentucky schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kentucky.
- #9 of 9
- public schools in Berea · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18:1
- large classes for Kentucky
- 46.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Madison Southern High School has class sizes larger than 85% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Madison Southern High School ranks #9 of 9 public schools in Berea, KY.
School address
District: Madison County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210372001594 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
68.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.6%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Madison Southern High School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Madison Southern High School
Madison Southern High School is a large high school in Berea, Kentucky, enrolling 1,224 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kentucky, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,224 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,389 Kentucky schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 125 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #120, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 612 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 256 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,224 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Berea's high schools, it stands alongside Berea Community High School (309 students): Madison Southern High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18:1 vs 16.3:1).
Madison County also operates Madison Central High School (2,107 students) and Kirksville Elementary School (662 students) alongside Madison Southern High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Madison Southern High School compares
Madison Southern High School on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▲ 18% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.6% | ▼ 21% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,224 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,224
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 85% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,762
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kentucky avg of $13,211
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 612 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
172
in-school suspensions + 84 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 90.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
Two or More 3.7%
African American 1.6%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 90.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.7, Madison Southern High School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison County, which includes Madison Southern High School.
$11,762
Per student
-11%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 49.3%
Federal 18.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Madison Southern High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kirksville Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kingston Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Madison Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clark Moores Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Madison Southern High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,107
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 608
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 558
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools in Berea
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kentucky, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,224 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Madison Southern High School's federal record.
- Compare Madison Southern High School against another school. Compare schools
- Madison County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Madison Southern High School
How many students attend Madison Southern High School?
Madison Southern High School has 1,224 students enrolled. It is a high school in Berea, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Madison Southern High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Madison Southern High School is 18:1, which is 18% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Madison Southern High School?
46.6% of students at Madison Southern High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Madison Southern High School?
The largest demographic group at Madison Southern High School is White at 90.0% of enrollment, in Berea, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Madison Southern High School?
Madison Southern High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Madison Southern High School rank among public schools in Berea?
By Resource Investment Index, Madison Southern High School ranks #9 of 9 public schools in Berea, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Berea on the city page.
Is Madison Southern High School a good school?
Madison Southern High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Kentucky schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kentucky. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Madison County?
Besides Madison Southern High School, Madison County also operates Madison Central High School (2,107 students), Kirksville Elementary School (662 students), and Kingston Elementary School (608 students). See the Madison County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.