Enrollment
97
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bismarck, ND
South Central Alternative High School
Federal NCES profile for South Central Alternative High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 380001400739
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Central Alternative High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of North Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota schools.
- #1 of 4
- high schools in Bismarck · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- large classes for North Dakota
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
South Central Alternative High School has class sizes larger than 89% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Central Alternative High School ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Bismarck, ND.
School address
District: Bismarck 1 · North Dakota
NCES ID 380001400739 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
+37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
+255% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Central Alternative High School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Central Alternative High School
South Central Alternative High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Bismarck, North Dakota, enrolling 97 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.2:1 is larger than about 89% of North Dakota schools and 37% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 255% above the North Dakota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 97 puts it in the smaller third of North Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 498 scored North Dakota schools.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 97 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Bismarck 1 spends $14,037 per pupil, 24% below the North Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bismarck's high schools, it stands alongside Legacy High School (1,419 students): South Central Alternative High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 17.3:1).
Bismarck 1 also operates Legacy High School (1,419 students) and Century High School (1,406 students) alongside South Central Alternative 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 South Central Alternative High School compares
South Central Alternative High School on the metrics families compare, against North Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 37% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 255% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 97 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
97
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 255% above the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 37% above state mean
Top 89% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$14,037
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 97 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 53.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 23.7%
Two or More 11.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
African American 3.1%
Largest group: White at 53.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.6, South Central Alternative High School is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bismarck 1, which includes South Central Alternative High School.
$14,037
Per student
-24%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.0%
State 55.3%
Federal 16.7%
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 South Central Alternative High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Century High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bismarck High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Horizon Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Simle Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Central Alternative High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,419
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,406
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,367
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,124
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools in Bismarck
3 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 North Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~97 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Central Alternative High School's federal record.
- Compare South Central Alternative High School against another school. Compare schools
- Bismarck 1'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 South Central Alternative High School
How many students attend South Central Alternative High School?
South Central Alternative High School has 97 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bismarck, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Central Alternative High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Central Alternative High School is 16.2:1, which is 37% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Central Alternative High School?
100.0% of students at South Central Alternative High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Central Alternative High School?
The largest demographic group at South Central Alternative High School is White at 53.6% of enrollment, in Bismarck, ND. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Central Alternative High School?
South Central Alternative High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Central Alternative High School rank among high schools in Bismarck?
By Resource Investment Index, South Central Alternative High School ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Bismarck, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bismarck on the city page.
Is South Central Alternative High School a good school?
South Central Alternative High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of North Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota schools. 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 Bismarck 1?
Besides South Central Alternative High School, Bismarck 1 also operates Legacy High School (1,419 students), Century High School (1,406 students), and Bismarck High School (1,367 students). See the Bismarck 1 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.