Enrollment
591
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fernandina Beach, FL
Southside Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Southside Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120135001309
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southside Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Fernandina Beach · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- small classes for Florida
- 45.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Fernandina Beach, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120135001309 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.2%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside Elementary School
Southside Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Fernandina Beach, Florida, enrolling 591 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 591 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 731 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #380.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 591 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Nassau also operates Yulee High School (1,486 students) and Wildlight Elementary (1,181 students) alongside Southside 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 Southside Elementary School compares
Southside Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▼ 25% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.2% | ▼ 13% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 591 | top 50% | - | - |
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.
591
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 18% in Florida - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.9%
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
$9,766
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
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 591 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 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 69.0%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
African American 8.0%
Two or More 6.8%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 69.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.7, Southside Elementary School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Nassau, which includes Southside Elementary School.
$9,766
Per student
-13%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.3%
State 29.6%
Federal 15.0%
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 Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yulee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wildlight Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Yulee Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fernandina Beach High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Nassau County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southside Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,486
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,181
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,174
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 978
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 923
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~591 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Southside Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Nassau'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 Elementary School
How many students attend Southside Elementary School?
Southside Elementary School has 591 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fernandina Beach, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside Elementary School is 13.4:1, which is 25% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 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 Elementary School?
45.2% of students at Southside Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Southside Elementary School is White at 69.0% of enrollment, in Fernandina Beach, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southside Elementary School?
Southside Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Elementary School rank among schools in Fernandina Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Fernandina Beach, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fernandina Beach on the city page.
Is Southside Elementary School a good school?
Southside Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Florida 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 Nassau?
Besides Southside Elementary School, Nassau also operates Yulee High School (1,486 students), Wildlight Elementary (1,181 students), and Yulee Middle School (1,174 students). See the Nassau 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.