Enrollment
1,485
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Manchester, MO
South High
Federal NCES profile for South High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 292358001394
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South High earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Manchester · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 19.0%
- free-lunch eligible
South High has class sizes larger than 70% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South High ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Manchester, MO.
School address
District: Parkway C-2 · Missouri
NCES ID 292358001394 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
106.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at South High
South High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Manchester, Missouri, enrolling 1,485 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 19.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,485 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 88 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #13.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and African American (13%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 56/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 25 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 248 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Parkway C-2 also operates West High (1,417 students) and Central High (1,281 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 Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▲ 9% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.0% | ▼ 59% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,485 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,485
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 70% in Missouri - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.0%
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
$14,102
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 248 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 99 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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
White 64.0%
African American 12.9%
Asian 9.8%
Two or More 6.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 64.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.6, South High is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 25
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Parkway C-2, which includes South High.
$14,102
Per student
+9%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 89.1%
State 4.2%
Federal 6.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 1,417
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,281
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 990
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 881
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 814
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,485 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South High's federal record.
- Compare South High against another school. Compare schools
- Parkway C-2'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 1,485 students enrolled. It is a high school in Manchester, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South High?
The student-teacher ratio at South High is 14:1, which is 9% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South High?
19.0% of students at South High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South High?
The largest demographic group at South High is White at 64.0% of enrollment, in Manchester, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South High?
South High has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (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 rank among public schools in Manchester?
By Resource Investment Index, South High ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Manchester, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Manchester on the city page.
Is South High a good school?
South High earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri. 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 Parkway C-2?
Besides South High, Parkway C-2 also operates West High (1,417 students), Central High (1,281 students), and North High (990 students). See the Parkway C-2 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.