Enrollment
530
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kettering, OH
Southdale Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Southdale Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 390441801113
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southdale Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Ohio schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Kettering · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Ohio
- 29.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Southdale Elementary School has class sizes larger than 71% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southdale Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Kettering, OH.
School address
District: Kettering City School District · Ohio
NCES ID 390441801113 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.2%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southdale Elementary School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southdale Elementary School
Southdale Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Kettering, Ohio, enrolling 530 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 29.2% lands close to the Ohio typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 530 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 773 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #312.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 530 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
10.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kettering's elementary schools, it stands alongside Prass Elementary School (420 students): Southdale Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.6:1 vs 17.5:1).
Kettering City School District also operates Kettering Fairmont High School (2,445 students) and Kettering Middle School (982 students) alongside Southdale Elementary 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 Southdale Elementary School compares
Southdale Elementary 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 8% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.2% | ▼ 8% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 530 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
530
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 71% in Ohio - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,725
per pupil, district-wide
- above Ohio avg of $14,655
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 530 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 75.1%
Two or More 9.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.9%
African American 7.2%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 75.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.6, Southdale Elementary School is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kettering City School District, which includes Southdale Elementary School.
$15,725
Per student
+7%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.7%
State 21.2%
Federal 15.0%
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 Southdale Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettering Fairmont High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kettering Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| J F Kennedy Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Van Buren Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Indian Riffle Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southdale Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,445
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 982
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 602
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 598
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Kettering
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~530 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southdale Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Southdale Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Kettering City 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 Southdale Elementary School
How many students attend Southdale Elementary School?
Southdale Elementary School has 530 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kettering, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southdale Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southdale Elementary School is 19.6:1, which is 8% higher than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southdale Elementary School?
29.2% of students at Southdale Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southdale Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Southdale Elementary School is White at 75.1% of enrollment, in Kettering, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southdale Elementary School?
Southdale Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Southdale Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Kettering?
By Resource Investment Index, Southdale Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Kettering, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Kettering on the city page.
Is Southdale Elementary School a good school?
Southdale Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Ohio 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 Kettering City School District?
Besides Southdale Elementary School, Kettering City School District also operates Kettering Fairmont High School (2,445 students), Kettering Middle School (982 students), and J F Kennedy Elementary School (602 students). See the Kettering City School District 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.