Enrollment
1,662
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Wichita, KS
South High
Federal NCES profile for South High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 201299000347
👥 S:T ratio 43
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas.
- #7 of 13
- high schools in Wichita · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 79.4%
- free-lunch eligible
South High has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South High ranks #7 of 13 high schools in Wichita, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
117.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.4%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+86% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South High compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at South High
South High is a high-poverty, large high school in Wichita, Kansas, enrolling 1,662 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 79.4% of students qualify for free meals, 86% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kansas, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,662 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (36%) and White (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 332 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 697 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,662 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Wichita's high schools, it stands alongside East High (2,435 students): South High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.2:1 vs 16.8:1).
Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students) and Southeast High (2,066 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 Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.4% | ▲ 86% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,662 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,662
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 86% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 62% in Kansas - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
47.9%
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
$15,361
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 332 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
282
in-school suspensions + 415 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 41.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 36.0%
White 32.1%
African American 19.6%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 36.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.2, South High is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wichita, which includes South High.
$15,361
Per student
-1%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.2%
State 70.9%
Federal 11.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southeast High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heights High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwest 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
- 2,435
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,505
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,424
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in Wichita
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
East High
Standard public school
2,435 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Southeast High
Standard public school
2,066 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
North High
Standard public school
2,041 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Campus High Haysville
Standard public school
1,803 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Heights High
Standard public school
1,505 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Northwest High
Standard public school
1,424 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,662 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South High's federal record.
- Compare South High against another school. Compare schools
- Wichita'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 1,662 students enrolled. It is a high school in Wichita, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South High?
The student-teacher ratio at South High is 14.2:1, which is 3% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South High?
79.4% of students at South High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South High?
The largest demographic group at South High is Hispanic or Latino at 36.0% of enrollment, in Wichita, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South High?
South High has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Wichita?
By Resource Investment Index, South High ranks #7 of 13 high schools in Wichita, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Wichita on the city page.
Is South High a good school?
South High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas. 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 Wichita?
Besides South High, Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students), Southeast High (2,066 students), and North High (2,041 students). See the Wichita 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.