Enrollment
995
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Willoughby, OH
South High School
Federal NCES profile for South High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 390451002009
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Willoughby · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 27.9%
- free-lunch eligible
South High School has class sizes near the Ohio median. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South High School ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Willoughby, OH.
School address
District: Willoughby-Eastlake City · Ohio
NCES ID 390451002009 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.9%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South High School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at South High School
South High School is a large high school in Willoughby, Ohio, enrolling 995 students.
At 16.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Ohio median, within a few percentage points of the 18.2:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 27.9% lands close to the Ohio typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Ohio, bigger than 94% of state schools at 995 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 330 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #90.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 52/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 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: 29.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Willoughby's high schools, it stands alongside Northern Career Institute (148 students): South High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.9:1 vs 13.5:1).
Willoughby-Eastlake City also operates North High School (1,231 students) and Royalview Elementary School (689 students) alongside South High 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 High School compares
South High 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 | 16.9:1 | ▼ 7% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.9% | ▼ 12% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 995 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
995
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 47% in Ohio - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.5%
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
$14,294
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 332 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 68 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 64.5%
African American 23.1%
Two or More 6.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%
Asian 2.2%
Largest group: White at 64.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.4, South High School is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Willoughby-Eastlake City, which includes South High School.
$14,294
Per student
-2%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.5%
State 19.9%
Federal 13.7%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Royalview Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Edison Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grant Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Willoughby Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,231
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 689
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 518
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar high schools in Willoughby
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~995 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South High School's federal record.
- Compare South High School against another school. Compare schools
- Willoughby-Eastlake City'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 School
How many students attend South High School?
South High School has 995 students enrolled. It is a high school in Willoughby, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South High School is 16.9:1, which is 7% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South High School?
27.9% of students at South High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South High School?
The largest demographic group at South High School is White at 64.5% of enrollment, in Willoughby, OH. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South High School?
South High School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 School rank among public schools in Willoughby?
By Resource Investment Index, South High School ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Willoughby, 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 Willoughby on the city page.
Is South High School a good school?
South High School earns 45/100 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 Willoughby-Eastlake City?
Besides South High School, Willoughby-Eastlake City also operates North High School (1,231 students), Royalview Elementary School (689 students), and Edison Elementary School (543 students). See the Willoughby-Eastlake City 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.