Enrollment
424
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tallassee, AL
Southside Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Southside Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010324001236
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southside Middle School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Alabama schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Tallassee · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 65.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside Middle School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Tallassee, AL.
School address
District: Tallassee City · Alabama
NCES ID 010324001236 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside Middle School
Southside Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Tallassee, Alabama, enrolling 424 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 424 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 426 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #283.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and African American (26%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 424 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Tallassee City also operates Tallassee Elementary School (609 students) and Tallassee High School (474 students) alongside Southside Middle 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 Middle School compares
Southside Middle 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 | 15.1:1 | ▼ 15% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.7% | ▲ 12% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 424 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
424
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 18% in Alabama - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
35.6%
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
$11,529
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
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 424 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
52
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.2 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 61.3%
African American 26.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.5%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 61.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.8, Southside Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tallassee City, which includes Southside Middle School.
$11,529
Per student
-8%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 54.9%
Federal 14.8%
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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tallassee Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tallassee High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southside Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 609
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary 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 (~424 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Southside Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Tallassee City'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 Middle School
How many students attend Southside Middle School?
Southside Middle School has 424 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tallassee, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside Middle School is 15.1:1, which is 15% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 4% 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 Middle School?
65.7% of students at Southside Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Southside Middle School is White at 61.3% of enrollment, in Tallassee, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southside Middle School?
Southside Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Middle School rank among public schools in Tallassee?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Tallassee, 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 Tallassee on the city page.
Is Southside Middle School a good school?
Southside Middle School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of 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 Tallassee City?
Besides Southside Middle School, Tallassee City also operates Tallassee Elementary School (609 students) and Tallassee High School (474 students). See the Tallassee City 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.