Enrollment
496
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hingham, MA
South Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 250609000874
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Massachusetts schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Massachusetts schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Hingham · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- large classes for Massachusetts
- 496
- students enrolled
South Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Hingham, MA.
School address
District: Hingham · Massachusetts
NCES ID 250609000874 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Elementary compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Elementary
South Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Hingham, Massachusetts, enrolling 496 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Massachusetts schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 496 students, its enrollment sits close to the Massachusetts median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 248 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
11.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Hingham's elementary schools, it stands alongside Wm L Foster Elementary (402 students): South Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.4:1 vs 11.8:1).
Hingham also operates Hingham High (1,066 students) and Hingham Middle School (798 students) alongside South Elementary.
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 Elementary compares
South Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▲ 9% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 496 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
496
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 73% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$20,707
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 248 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 89.9%
Asian 5.8%
Two or More 1.6%
African American 1.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.2%
Largest group: White at 89.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.8, South Elementary is less mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hingham, which includes South Elementary.
$20,707
Per student
-8%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 74.1%
State 22.5%
Federal 3.5%
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 South Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hingham High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hingham Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wm L Foster Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Plymouth River | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,066
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 798
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 352
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Hingham
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~496 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Hingham'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 Elementary
How many students attend South Elementary?
South Elementary has 496 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hingham, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elementary is 13.4:1, which is 9% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Elementary is White at 89.9% of enrollment, in Hingham, MA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elementary?
South Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Elementary rank among elementary schools in Hingham?
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Hingham, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Hingham on the city page.
Is South Elementary a good school?
South Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Massachusetts schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Massachusetts 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 Hingham?
Besides South Elementary, Hingham also operates Hingham High (1,066 students), Hingham Middle School (798 students), and East Elementary School (502 students). See the Hingham 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.