Enrollment
611
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Somerset, KY
Southern Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Southern 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 210495001464
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southern Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of Kentucky schools.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Somerset · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 70.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Southern Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 75% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Somerset, KY.
School address
District: Pulaski County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210495001464 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.5%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southern Elementary School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southern Elementary School
Southern Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Somerset, Kentucky, enrolling 611 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 611 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 401 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #177.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 611 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Somerset's elementary schools, it stands alongside Oak Hill Elementary School (551 students): Southern Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 16.2:1).
Pulaski County also operates Southwestern High School (1,213 students) and Pulaski County High School (1,113 students) alongside Southern 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 Southern Elementary School compares
Southern Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 14% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.5% | ▲ 19% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 611 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
611
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% above the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 25% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.4%
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
$11,722
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kentucky avg of $13,211
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 611 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 81.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 3.6%
African American 1.6%
Largest group: White at 81.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.2, Southern Elementary School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pulaski County, which includes Southern Elementary School.
$11,722
Per student
-11%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.0%
State 56.3%
Federal 17.7%
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 Southern Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pulaski County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northern Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Hill Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southern Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,213
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,113
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 871
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools in Somerset
3 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 Kentucky, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~611 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Southern Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Pulaski 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 Southern Elementary School
How many students attend Southern Elementary School?
Southern Elementary School has 611 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Somerset, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southern Elementary School is 13:1, which is 14% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 17% 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 Southern Elementary School?
70.5% of students at Southern Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southern Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Southern Elementary School is White at 81.7% of enrollment, in Somerset, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern Elementary School?
Southern 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 Southern Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Somerset?
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Somerset, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Somerset on the city page.
Is Southern Elementary School a good school?
Southern Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of Kentucky 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 Pulaski County?
Besides Southern Elementary School, Pulaski County also operates Southwestern High School (1,213 students), Pulaski County High School (1,113 students), and Southern Middle School (871 students). See the Pulaski 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.