Enrollment
1,800
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Worcester, MA
South High Community
Federal NCES profile for South High Community, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 251323002244
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South High Community earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Massachusetts schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Massachusetts.
- #3 of 6
- high schools in Worcester · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18:1
- large classes for Massachusetts
- 1,800
- students enrolled
South High Community has class sizes larger than 96% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South High Community ranks #3 of 6 high schools in Worcester, MA.
School address
District: Worcester · Massachusetts
NCES ID 251323002244 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
100.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South High Community compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at South High Community
South High Community is a large high school in Worcester, Massachusetts, enrolling 1,800 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18:1 is larger than about 96% of Massachusetts schools and 46% above the 12.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Massachusetts, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,800 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and White (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 24 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 144 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.4% 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 41 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Worcester's high schools, it stands alongside Doherty Memorial High (1,573 students): South High Community is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 18.3:1).
Worcester also operates Doherty Memorial High (1,573 students) and Worcester Technical High (1,442 students) alongside South High Community.
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 Community compares
South High Community on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▲ 46% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,800 | top 2% | - | - |
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.
1,800
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 46% above state mean
Top 96% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.4%
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
$20,642
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
Counselors12.5 FTE
Per 144 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
43
in-school suspensions + 118 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 41 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 44.0%
White 22.5%
African American 19.9%
Asian 9.3%
Two or More 4.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.6, South High Community is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 24
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Worcester, which includes South High Community.
$20,642
Per student
-8%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.5%
State 70.1%
Federal 16.4%
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 Community Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doherty Memorial High | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Worcester Technical High | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| North High | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Burncoat Senior High | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sullivan Middle | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South High Community's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,573
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,442
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,376
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,073
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 940
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar high schools in Worcester
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Doherty Memorial High
Standard public school
1,573 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Worcester Technical High
Vocational / career-technical school
1,442 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
North High
Standard public school
1,376 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Burncoat Senior High
Standard public school
1,073 students 16:1 students per teacher
Ma Academy for Math and Science School
Standard public school
99 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~1,800 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South High Community's federal record.
- Compare South High Community against another school. Compare schools
- Worcester'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 Community
How many students attend South High Community?
South High Community has 1,800 students enrolled. It is a high school in Worcester, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South High Community?
The student-teacher ratio at South High Community is 18:1, which is 46% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South High Community?
The largest demographic group at South High Community is Hispanic or Latino at 44.0% of enrollment, in Worcester, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South High Community?
South High Community has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 Community rank among high schools in Worcester?
By Resource Investment Index, South High Community ranks #3 of 6 high schools in Worcester, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Worcester on the city page.
Is South High Community a good school?
South High Community earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Massachusetts schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Massachusetts. 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 Worcester?
Besides South High Community, Worcester also operates Doherty Memorial High (1,573 students), Worcester Technical High (1,442 students), and North High (1,376 students). See the Worcester 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.