Enrollment
285
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Selma, AL
Southside High School
Federal NCES profile for Southside High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010111000406
👥 S:T ratio 46
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southside High School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 92% of Alabama schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #13 of 14
- public schools in Selma · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.6:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 88.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside High School has class sizes smaller than 92% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside High School ranks #13 of 14 public schools in Selma, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.9%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside High School
Southside High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Selma, Alabama, enrolling 285 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13.6:1, Southside High School is leaner than roughly 92% of Alabama schools and 23% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 88.9% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 285 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 133 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #113, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 570 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Dallas County spends $15,350 per pupil, 23% above the Alabama average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.0% 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 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Selma's high schools, it stands alongside Selma High School (680 students): Southside High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.6:1 vs 17.9:1).
Dallas County also operates Valley Grande Elementary School (353 students) and Dallas County High School (334 students) alongside Southside High 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 High School compares
Southside High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▼ 23% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.9% | ▲ 51% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 285 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
285
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
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
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 8% in Alabama - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.9%
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
$15,350
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
African American 94.0%
Two or More 2.8%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
White 1.4%
Largest group: African American at 94.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.5, Southside High School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dallas County, which includes Southside High School.
$15,350
Per student
+23%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.5%
State 57.5%
Federal 27.0%
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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Grande Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dallas County High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brantley Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Keith Middlehigh School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William R Martin Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southside High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 353
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 204
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 188
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 180
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Selma
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~285 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside High School's federal record.
- Compare Southside High School against another school. Compare schools
- Dallas 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 High School
How many students attend Southside High School?
Southside High School has 285 students enrolled. It is a high school in Selma, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside High School is 13.6:1, which is 23% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 13% 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 High School?
88.9% of students at Southside High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside High School?
The largest demographic group at Southside High School is African American at 94.0% of enrollment, in Selma, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southside High School?
Southside High School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Southside High School rank among public schools in Selma?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside High School ranks #13 of 14 public schools in Selma, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Selma on the city page.
Is Southside High School a good school?
Southside High School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 92% of Alabama schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama 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 Dallas County?
Besides Southside High School, Dallas County also operates Valley Grande Elementary School (353 students), Dallas County High School (334 students), and Brantley Elementary School (204 students). See the Dallas 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.