Enrollment
442
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palestine, TX
Southside El
Federal NCES profile for Southside El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 483405003790
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southside El earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Palestine · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 80.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside El ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Palestine, TX.
School address
District: Palestine Isd · Texas
NCES ID 483405003790 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.8%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside El
Southside El is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Palestine, Texas, enrolling 442 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 442 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,995 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #521.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (41%) and White (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 442 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Palestine Isd also operates Palestine H S (1,003 students) and Story Int (670 students) alongside Southside El.
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 Southside El compares
Southside El on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▼ 9% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.8% | ▲ 31% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 442 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
442
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 39% in Texas - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,744
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
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 442 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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
Hispanic or Latino 41.0%
White 29.2%
African American 21.9%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 41.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.5, Southside El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palestine Isd, which includes Southside El.
$12,744
Per student
-7%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.2%
State 46.8%
Federal 17.0%
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 Southside El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palestine H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Story Int | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palestine J H | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northside Pri | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southside El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,003
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 670
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 215
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~442 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside El's federal record.
- Compare Southside El against another school. Compare schools
- Palestine Isd'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 Southside El
How many students attend Southside El?
Southside El has 442 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palestine, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside El?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside El is 13.4:1, which is 9% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 15% 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 Southside El?
80.8% of students at Southside El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside El?
The largest demographic group at Southside El is Hispanic or Latino at 41.0% of enrollment, in Palestine, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southside El?
Southside El has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Southside El rank among elementary schools in Palestine?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside El ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Palestine, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Palestine on the city page.
Is Southside El a good school?
Southside El earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas 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 Palestine Isd?
Besides Southside El, Palestine Isd also operates Palestine H S (1,003 students), Story Int (670 students), and Palestine J H (456 students). See the Palestine Isd 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.