Enrollment
610
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cairo, GA
Southside Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Southside Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130246001080
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southside Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Cairo · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside Elementary School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Cairo, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside Elementary School
Southside Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cairo, Georgia, enrolling 610 students.
At 14.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Georgia median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Georgia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 610 students, its enrollment sits close to the Georgia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 430 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #91.
Its student body is led by African American (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 610 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 20.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Cairo's public schools, it stands alongside Eastside Elementary School (735 students): Southside Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 16.7:1).
Grady County also operates Cairo High School (1,317 students) and Eastside Elementary School (735 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 Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.5:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 65% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 610 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
610
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 56% in Georgia - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.8%
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
$11,806
per pupil, district-wide
- below Georgia avg of $13,863
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 610 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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
African American 44.3%
Hispanic or Latino 32.3%
White 19.5%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 44.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.1, Southside Elementary School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grady County, which includes Southside Elementary School.
$11,806
Per student
-15%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.6%
State 56.6%
Federal 20.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shiver Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Whigham Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 1,317
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Cairo
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~610 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Southside Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Grady 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 Southside Elementary School
How many students attend Southside Elementary School?
Southside Elementary School has 610 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cairo, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside Elementary School is 14.5:1, which is 1% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southside Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Southside Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Southside Elementary School is African American at 44.3% of enrollment, in Cairo, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southside Elementary School?
Southside Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 public schools in Cairo?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Cairo, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cairo on the city page.
Is Southside Elementary School a good school?
Southside Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median. 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 Grady County?
Besides Southside Elementary School, Grady County also operates Cairo High School (1,317 students), Eastside Elementary School (735 students), and Washington Middle School (631 students). See the Grady 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.