Enrollment
2,107
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bakersfield, CA
South High
Federal NCES profile for South High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061954002353
👥 S:T ratio 9
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South High earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #9 of 20
- high schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.7:1
- students per teacher
- 87.7%
- free-lunch eligible
South High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South High ranks #9 of 20 high schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Kern High · California
NCES ID 061954002353 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
93.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at South High
South High is a high-poverty, large high school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 2,107 students.
At 22.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 87.7% of students qualify for free meals, 58% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 97% of state schools at 2,107 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 120 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #55.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 301 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bakersfield's high schools, it stands alongside Bakersfield High (3,069 students): South High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.7:1 vs 24.4:1).
Kern High also operates Bakersfield High (3,069 students) and Arvin High (2,653 students) alongside South High.
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 High compares
South High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.7% | ▲ 58% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,107 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.7:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,107
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% above the California average of 55.5%
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
22.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 59% in California - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
33.7%
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
$15,830
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 301 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 267 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 84.0%
African American 8.0%
White 4.1%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 84.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.6, South High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kern High, which includes South High.
$15,830
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.9%
State 63.4%
Federal 11.6%
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 High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Arvin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridgeview High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stockdale High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,069
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,653
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,575
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,530
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Bakersfield High
Standard public school
3,069 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Ridgeview High
Standard public school
2,575 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Highland High
Standard public school
2,530 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Stockdale High
Standard public school
2,398 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Liberty High
Standard public school
2,369 students 27.5:1 students per teacher
East Bakersfield High
Standard public school
2,331 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,107 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South High's federal record.
- Compare South High against another school. Compare schools
- Kern High'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 High
How many students attend South High?
South High has 2,107 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South High?
The student-teacher ratio at South High is 22.7:1, which is 6% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South High?
87.7% of students at South High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South High?
The largest demographic group at South High is Hispanic or Latino at 84.0% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South High?
South High has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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 South High rank among high schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, South High ranks #9 of 20 high schools in Bakersfield, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bakersfield on the city page.
Is South High a good school?
South High earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Kern High?
Besides South High, Kern High also operates Bakersfield High (3,069 students), Arvin High (2,653 students), and Ridgeview High (2,575 students). See the Kern High 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.