Enrollment
502
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Boulder, CO
Southern Hills Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Southern Hills Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080249000134
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southern Hills Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Colorado schools.
- #3 of 6
- middle schools in Boulder · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.9:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 8.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Southern Hills Middle School has class sizes larger than 89% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Hills Middle School ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Boulder, CO.
School address
District: Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 · Colorado
NCES ID 080249000134 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southern Hills Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southern Hills Middle School
Southern Hills Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Boulder, Colorado, enrolling 502 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.9:1 is larger than about 89% of Colorado schools and 26% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.1% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the Colorado average.
Enrollment of 502 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 315 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #75.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Two or More (11%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 251 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
13.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 also operates Boulder High School (1,939 students) and Fairview High School (1,863 students) alongside Southern Hills 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 Southern Hills Middle School compares
Southern Hills Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.9:1 | ▲ 26% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.1% | ▼ 79% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 502 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
502
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 89% in Colorado - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
13.1%
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
$15,316
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 251 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 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 72.7%
Two or More 10.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.0%
Asian 7.0%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 72.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.8, Southern Hills Middle School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Boulder Valley School District No. Re2, which includes Southern Hills Middle School.
$15,316
Per student
-6%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.6%
State 13.3%
Federal 6.1%
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 Hills Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fairview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Broomfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Centaurus High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Peak to Peak Charter School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southern Hills Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,939
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,863
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,693
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,557
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,447
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~502 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern Hills Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Southern Hills Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Boulder Valley School District No. Re2'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 Hills Middle School
How many students attend Southern Hills Middle School?
Southern Hills Middle School has 502 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Boulder, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Hills Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southern Hills Middle School is 20.9:1, which is 26% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southern Hills Middle School?
8.1% of students at Southern Hills Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southern Hills Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Southern Hills Middle School is White at 72.7% of enrollment, in Boulder, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern Hills Middle School?
Southern Hills Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Hills Middle School rank among middle schools in Boulder?
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Hills Middle School ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Boulder, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Boulder on the city page.
Is Southern Hills Middle School a good school?
Southern Hills Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Colorado 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 Boulder Valley School District No. Re2?
Besides Southern Hills Middle School, Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 also operates Boulder High School (1,939 students), Fairview High School (1,863 students), and Broomfield High School (1,693 students). See the Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 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.