Enrollment
756
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Jackson, TN
South Side High School
Federal NCES profile for South Side High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 470258000925
👥 S:T ratio 49
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Side High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 77% of Tennessee schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools.
- #3 of 6
- high schools in Jackson · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.8:1
- small classes for Tennessee
- 756
- students enrolled
South Side High School has class sizes smaller than 77% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Side High School ranks #3 of 6 high schools in Jackson, TN.
School address
District: Madison County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470258000925 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Side High School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Side High School
South Side High School is a mid-sized high school in Jackson, Tennessee, enrolling 756 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 756 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and African American (41%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 252 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 181 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 756 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Jackson's high schools, it stands alongside North Side High School (903 students): South Side High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.8:1 vs 16.1:1).
Madison County also operates North Side High School (903 students) and Northeast Middle School (804 students) alongside South Side 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 Side High School compares
South Side High School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.8:1 | ▼ 16% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 756 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
756
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 23% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
47.8%
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
$10,363
per pupil, district-wide
- below Tennessee avg of $10,822
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 252 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
161
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.9 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
White 43.1%
African American 40.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 43.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.7, South Side High School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison County, which includes South Side High School.
$10,363
Per student
-4%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 39.1%
Federal 21.6%
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 Side High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Side High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northeast Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thelma Barker Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Community Montessori School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pope School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Side High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 628
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools in Jackson
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
North Side High School
Standard public school
903 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Liberty Technology Magnet High School
Standard public school
604 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Jackson Central Merry High School
Standard public school
507 students 39:1 students per teacher
Madison Academic Magnet High School
Standard public school
483 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Jackson Central-Merry Early College High
Standard public school
268 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~756 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Side High School's federal record.
- Compare South Side High School against another school. Compare schools
- Madison County'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 Side High School
How many students attend South Side High School?
South Side High School has 756 students enrolled. It is a high school in Jackson, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Side High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Side High School is 12.8:1, which is 16% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Side High School?
The largest demographic group at South Side High School is White at 43.1% of enrollment, in Jackson, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Side High School?
South Side High School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Side High School rank among high schools in Jackson?
By Resource Investment Index, South Side High School ranks #3 of 6 high schools in Jackson, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Jackson on the city page.
Is South Side High School a good school?
South Side High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 77% of Tennessee schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools. 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 Madison County?
Besides South Side High School, Madison County also operates North Side High School (903 students), Northeast Middle School (804 students), and Thelma Barker Elementary (776 students). See the Madison County 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.