Enrollment
450
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Batesville, AR
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 051254000100
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 19
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 near the Arkansas median.
- #5 of 7
- public schools in Batesville · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- students per teacher
- 39.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside Middle School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Middle School ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Batesville, AR.
School address
District: Southside School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051254000100 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.1%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside Middle School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside Middle School
Southside Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Batesville, Arkansas, enrolling 450 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 450 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Among 283 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #241, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 450 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Southside School District spends $9,405 per pupil, 23% below the Arkansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 23.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Southside School District also operates Southside Elementary School (852 students) and Southside Charter High School (464 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 Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.1% | ▼ 34% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 450 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
450
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 66% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.2%
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
$9,405
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 450 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
34
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.3 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 91.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
African American 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Two or More 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 91.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.3, Southside Middle School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southside School District, which includes Southside Middle School.
$9,405
Per student
-23%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.2%
State 60.4%
Federal 23.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southside Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southside Charter High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southside Junior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 7.3:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 427
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary 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 (~450 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Southside Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Southside 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 Middle School
How many students attend Southside Middle School?
Southside Middle School has 450 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Batesville, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside Middle School is 15.5:1, which is 14% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southside Middle School?
39.1% of students at Southside Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Southside Middle School is White at 91.3% of enrollment, in Batesville, AR.
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 Batesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Middle School ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Batesville, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Batesville 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 near the Arkansas 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 Southside School District?
Besides Southside Middle School, Southside School District also operates Southside Elementary School (852 students), Southside Charter High School (464 students), and Southside Junior High School (427 students). See the Southside 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.