Enrollment
476
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lexington, KY
Southern Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Southern Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 210186000377
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southern Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Kentucky schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky schools.
- #17 of 38
- schools in Lexington · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 58.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Southern Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Elementary School ranks #17 of 38 schools in Lexington, KY.
School address
District: Fayette County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210186000377 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.7%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-1% 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 combined-grade school in Lexington, Kentucky, enrolling 476 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.7% lands close to the Kentucky typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 476 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kentucky median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Among 525 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #456, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (33%) and African American (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 476 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Fayette County spends $15,849 per pupil, 20% above the Kentucky average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Lexington's public schools, it stands alongside Sandersville Elementary (765 students): Southern Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.9:1 vs 15:1).
Fayette County also operates Lafayette High School (2,370 students) and Bryan Station High School (2,030 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 22% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.7% | ▼ 1% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 476 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
476
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 18% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.2%
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
$15,849
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kentucky avg of $13,211
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 476 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 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 32.8%
African American 28.8%
Hispanic or Latino 19.7%
Two or More 12.0%
Asian 6.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 32.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.3, Southern Elementary School is more mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fayette County, which includes Southern Elementary School.
$15,849
Per student
+20%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.8%
State 35.5%
Federal 14.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bryan Station High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Henry Clay High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paul Laurence Dunbar High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Frederick Douglass High School | Larger | 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
- 2,370
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,939
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,828
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,770
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar other schools in Lexington
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Sandersville Elementary
Standard public school
765 students 15:1 students per teacher
Coventry Oak Elementary
Standard public school
755 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Stonewall Elementary School
Standard public school
674 students 14:1 students per teacher
Cardinal Valley Elementary School
Standard public school
643 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Tates Creek Elementary School
Standard public school
626 students 12:1 students per teacher
Lansdowne Elementary School
Standard public school
610 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~476 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Southern Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Fayette 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 476 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lexington, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southern Elementary School is 11.9:1, which is 22% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 24% 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?
58.7% 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 32.8% of enrollment, in Lexington, KY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern Elementary School?
Southern Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 schools in Lexington?
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Elementary School ranks #17 of 38 schools in Lexington, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lexington on the city page.
Is Southern Elementary School a good school?
Southern Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Kentucky schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Fayette County?
Besides Southern Elementary School, Fayette County also operates Lafayette High School (2,370 students), Bryan Station High School (2,030 students), and Henry Clay High School (1,939 students). See the Fayette 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.