Enrollment
506
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Madison, OH
South Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for South Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 390478803023
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Madison · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.7:1
- students per teacher
- 26.1%
- free-lunch eligible
South Elementary School has class sizes near the Ohio median. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Madison, OH.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.1%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Elementary School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Elementary School
South Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Madison, Ohio, enrolling 506 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 26.1% lands close to the Ohio typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 506 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 781 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #486.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Madison Local spends $10,762 per pupil, 27% below the Ohio average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Madison's elementary schools, it stands alongside North Elementary School (572 students): South Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.7:1 vs 20.4:1).
Madison Local also operates Madison High School (818 students) and Madison Middle School (605 students) alongside South Elementary 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 Elementary School compares
South Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.7:1 | ▲ 3% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.1% | ▼ 17% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 506 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
506
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% below the Ohio average of 31.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 63% in Ohio - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.4%
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
$10,762
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.1 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 86.2%
Two or More 6.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 86.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.9, South Elementary School is less mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison Local, which includes South Elementary School.
$10,762
Per student
-27%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.6%
State 44.7%
Federal 14.8%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madison Pre-K | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Online Learning Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to South Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 605
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 572
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 129
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 29
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar elementary schools in Madison
1 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 Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~506 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare South Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Madison Local'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 School
How many students attend South Elementary School?
South Elementary School has 506 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Madison, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elementary School is 18.7:1, which is 3% higher than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Elementary School?
26.1% of students at South Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at South Elementary School is White at 86.2% of enrollment, in Madison, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elementary School?
South Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Elementary School rank among public schools in Madison?
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Madison, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Madison on the city page.
Is South Elementary School a good school?
South Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median. 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 Local?
Besides South Elementary School, Madison Local also operates Madison High School (818 students), Madison Middle School (605 students), and North Elementary School (572 students). See the Madison Local 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.