Enrollment
873
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Miami, FL
Southside Preparatory Academy
Federal NCES profile for Southside Preparatory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120039000520
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southside Preparatory Academy earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #71 of 161
- schools in Miami · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 37.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside Preparatory Academy has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Preparatory Academy ranks #71 of 161 schools in Miami, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside Preparatory Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside Preparatory Academy
Southside Preparatory Academy is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Miami, Florida, enrolling 873 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 873 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 710 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #143.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and White (17%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 437 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students) and Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students) alongside Southside Preparatory Academy.
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 Preparatory Academy compares
Southside Preparatory Academy on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.0% | ▼ 29% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 873 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
873
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 40% in Florida - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,258
per pupil, district-wide
- above Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 437 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 76.4%
White 17.1%
African American 3.2%
Asian 2.2%
Two or More 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.5, Southside Preparatory Academy is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Miami-Dade, which includes Southside Preparatory Academy.
$12,258
Per student
+10%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.2%
State 23.3%
Federal 19.5%
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 Preparatory Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John a. Ferguson Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Reef Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Dade Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Miami Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hialeah Gardens Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southside Preparatory Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,291
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,399
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 3,382
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,100
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,009
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~873 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside Preparatory Academy's federal record.
- Compare Southside Preparatory Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Miami-Dade'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 Preparatory Academy
How many students attend Southside Preparatory Academy?
Southside Preparatory Academy has 873 students enrolled. It is a public school in Miami, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside Preparatory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside Preparatory Academy is 15.6:1, which is 12% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 1% 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 Preparatory Academy?
37.0% of students at Southside Preparatory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside Preparatory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Southside Preparatory Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 76.4% of enrollment, in Miami, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southside Preparatory Academy?
Southside Preparatory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Preparatory Academy rank among schools in Miami?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Preparatory Academy ranks #71 of 161 schools in Miami, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Miami on the city page.
Is Southside Preparatory Academy a good school?
Southside Preparatory Academy earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida 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 Miami-Dade?
Besides Southside Preparatory Academy, Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students), Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students), and South Dade Senior High School (3,382 students). See the Miami-Dade 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.