Enrollment
1,384
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Durham, NC
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi
Federal NCES profile for Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370126000550
👥 S:T ratio 29
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #10 of 11
- high schools in Durham · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 99.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi has class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi ranks #10 of 11 high schools in Durham, NC.
School address
District: Durham Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370126000550 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi is a high-poverty, large high school in Durham, North Carolina, enrolling 1,384 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.8% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,384 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 59 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #30.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and African American (45%) (diversity index 56/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Durham Public Schools spends $14,937 per pupil, 24% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Durham's high schools, it stands alongside C E Jordan High (2,189 students): Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.7:1 vs 19.4:1).
Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students) and Riverside High (1,900 students) alongside Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi.
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 School of Energy and Sustainabi compares
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.7:1 | ▲ 12% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.8% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,384 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,384
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 78% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
55.6%
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
$14,937
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
72
in-school suspensions + 179 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 48.3%
African American 45.1%
Two or More 3.3%
White 2.3%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Durham Public Schools, which includes Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi.
$14,937
Per student
+24%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.0%
Federal 19.5%
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 School of Energy and Sustainabi Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C E Jordan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Durham School of the Arts | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hillside High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northern High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,189
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,764
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,433
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,281
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Durham
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
C E Jordan High
Standard public school
2,189 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Riverside High
Standard public school
1,900 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Hillside High
Standard public school
1,433 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Northern High
Standard public school
1,281 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Research Triangle High School
Standard public school
572 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
J D Clement Early College Hs
Standard public school
380 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,384 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi's federal record.
- Compare Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi against another school. Compare schools
- Durham Public Schools'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 School of Energy and Sustainabi
How many students attend Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi?
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi has 1,384 students enrolled. It is a high school in Durham, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi?
The student-teacher ratio at Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi is 17.7:1, which is 12% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi?
99.8% of students at Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi?
The largest demographic group at Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi is Hispanic or Latino at 48.3% of enrollment, in Durham, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi?
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi rank among high schools in Durham?
By Resource Investment Index, Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi ranks #10 of 11 high schools in Durham, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Durham on the city page.
Is Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi a good school?
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina. 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 Durham Public Schools?
Besides Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi, Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students), Riverside High (1,900 students), and Durham School of the Arts (1,764 students). See the Durham Public Schools 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.