Enrollment
806
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Rockville Centre, NY
South Side Middle School
Federal NCES profile for South Side Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 362478003430
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Side Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of New York schools.
- #2 of 6
- public schools in Rockville Centre · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.2:1
- small classes for New York
- 12.5%
- free-lunch eligible
South Side Middle School has class sizes smaller than 80% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Side Middle School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Rockville Centre, NY.
School address
District: Rockville Centre Union Free School District · New York
NCES ID 362478003430 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
88.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.5%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Side Middle School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Side Middle School
South Side Middle School is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Rockville Centre, New York, enrolling 806 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.5% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the New York average.
Enrollment of 806 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 361 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #179.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 269 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Rockville Centre Union Free School District spends $34,282 per pupil, 30% above the New York average, a better-resourced district than most.
Rockville Centre Union Free School District also operates South Side High School (959 students) and Hewitt School (465 students) alongside South Side Middle 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 Middle School compares
South Side Middle School on the metrics families compare, against New York and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.2:1 | ▼ 22% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.5% | ▼ 78% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 806 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.2:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
806
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% below the New York average of 56.2%
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
9.2:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 20% in New York - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$34,282
per pupil, district-wide
- above New York avg of $26,410
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 269 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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
White 69.7%
Hispanic or Latino 17.1%
African American 6.3%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 3.0%
Largest group: White at 69.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.9, South Side Middle School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rockville Centre Union Free School District, which includes South Side Middle School.
$34,282
Per student
+30%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+107%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.1%
State 14.9%
Federal 4.9%
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 Side Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Side High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hewitt School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilson School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William S Covert School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Watson School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Side Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 959
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 286
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 224
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New York, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~806 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Side Middle School's federal record.
- Compare South Side Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Rockville Centre Union Free School District'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 Middle School
How many students attend South Side Middle School?
South Side Middle School has 806 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Rockville Centre, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Side Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Side Middle School is 9.2:1, which is 22% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 41% lower 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 Side Middle School?
12.5% of students at South Side Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Side Middle School?
The largest demographic group at South Side Middle School is White at 69.7% of enrollment, in Rockville Centre, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Side Middle School?
South Side Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Middle School rank among public schools in Rockville Centre?
By Resource Investment Index, South Side Middle School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Rockville Centre, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Rockville Centre on the city page.
Is South Side Middle School a good school?
South Side Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of New York 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 Rockville Centre Union Free School District?
Besides South Side Middle School, Rockville Centre Union Free School District also operates South Side High School (959 students), Hewitt School (465 students), and Wilson School (387 students). See the Rockville Centre Union Free School District district page for the complete list.
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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.