Enrollment
2,053
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fort Smith, AR
Southside High School
Federal NCES profile for Southside High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 050633000373
👥 S:T ratio 56
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southside High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Arkansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Arkansas.
- #3 of 4
- high schools in Fort Smith · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.1:1
- small classes for Arkansas
- 36.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside High School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside High School ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Fort Smith, AR.
School address
District: Fort Smith School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050633000373 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
185.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.1%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside High School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside High School
Southside High School is a large high school in Fort Smith, Arkansas, enrolling 2,053 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arkansas, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,053 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 18 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #11.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 411 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 426 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 2,053 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Fort Smith School District also operates Northside High School (2,231 students) and Ramsey Junior High School (801 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 Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.1:1 | ▼ 18% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.1% | ▼ 39% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,053 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
2,053
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.1:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 28% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.0%
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
$12,206
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arkansas avg of $12,251
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 411 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
275
in-school suspensions + 151 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.8 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 52.5%
Hispanic or Latino 22.5%
Two or More 9.8%
Asian 7.4%
African American 6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 52.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.4, Southside High School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Smith School District, which includes Southside High School.
$12,206
Per student
0%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.4%
State 44.3%
Federal 20.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ramsey Junior High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| L. a. Chaffin Jr. High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dora Kimmons Jr. High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. | Smaller | Higher 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
- 2,231
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,053 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside High School's federal record.
- Compare Southside High School against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Smith School District'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 2,053 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fort Smith, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside High School is 11.1:1, which is 18% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 29% 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?
36.1% of students at Southside High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside High School?
The largest demographic group at Southside High School is White at 52.5% of enrollment, in Fort Smith, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southside High School?
Southside High School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Southside High School rank among high schools in Fort Smith?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside High School ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Fort Smith, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Fort Smith on the city page.
Is Southside High School a good school?
Southside High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Arkansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Arkansas. 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 Fort Smith School District?
Besides Southside High School, Fort Smith School District also operates Northside High School (2,231 students), Ramsey Junior High School (801 students), and L. a. Chaffin Jr. High School (753 students). See the Fort Smith School District 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.