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Southside High School

Q: Is Southside High School a good school?

Southside High School ranks 144 th of 386 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

144^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 386 Alabama High Schools

Better than 63% of Alabama high schools

Summary

Southside High School in Southside, AL, serves approximately 825 students in grades 9-12 within the Etowah County school district, making it the largest high school in its district and serving a relatively affluent community compared to nearby schools.

Southside has a strong history of academic performance, earning 4-star ratings for nearly a decade. However, the most recent data shows a notable decline, with the school dropping from the 86th percentile statewide in 2021-2022 to the 62nd percentile in 2025-2026. This downward trend appears linked to a significant rise in chronic absenteeism—22.2% of students miss substantial instructional time, nearly double the state average of 12.0% and well above the district average of 15.0%. While this rate has improved from 28.1% two years ago, it remains the highest among comparable area schools. For context, nearby Pleasant Valley High School, with similar demographics, has a chronic absenteeism rate of just 8.1%, suggesting this challenge is addressable. The school also spends less per student ($7,930) than all comparable schools, which may limit intervention resources.

Despite these challenges, Southside maintains several strengths. Its graduation rate of 95.4% exceeds the state average, and science proficiency consistently outperforms both district and state averages. The school also outperforms Gadsden City High School across all subjects, though Gadsden City serves a much higher-poverty population. However, there are areas of concern: male student performance has dropped dramatically from the 83rd to 55th percentile in two years, and the school's relatively low poverty rate (33.7% free/reduced lunch) hasn't translated into a clear academic advantage—Hokes Bluff High School, with a higher poverty rate, actually outperformed Southside in 11th-grade math. Southside is at a critical juncture where addressing absenteeism and the male achievement gap will be essential to reversing its recent decline.

825

Students ?

19.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,046

Per pupil spending ?

33.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2361 School Drive
Southside, AL 35907-7809

(256) 442-2172

District: Etowah County

Feeder schools for Southside High School:

Elementary:	John S Jones Elementary School
	Southside Elementary School
Middle:	Rainbow Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.6%

African American:

5.6%

Hispanic:

4.7%

See top rated Alabama high schools

Compare Southside High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 82nd percentile in 2016 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the Alabama average (92%)

✓Above the Alabama median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (22% vs 12% Alabama)

!Ranking has slipped — down 19 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school30%

District avg26%

Alabama avg32%

144^th of 386

Alabama public high schools ?

Top 37%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From top 18% (2016) to top 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 6High Schools in the Etowah County

60^th of 140Etowah County among Alabama districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	56.8	144 of 386	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.6	130 of 374	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.4	93 of 378	75.4%	★★★★☆
2023	73.2	79 of 371	78.7%	★★★★☆
2022	82.3	52 of 367	85.8%	★★★★☆
2021	72.1	76 of 371	79.5%	★★★★☆
2019	78.2	63 of 366	82.8%	★★★★☆
2018	76.4	80 of 356	77.5%	★★★★☆
2017	75.4	64 of 353	81.9%	★★★★☆
2016	74.0	64 of 351	81.8%	★★★★☆
2015	74.0	66 of 353	81.3%	★★★★☆
2014	75.8	59 of 358	83.5%	★★★★☆
2013	63.6	97 of 358	72.9%	★★★★☆
2012	58.7	163 of 358	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.7	197 of 360	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	55.6	173 of 358	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	56.1	161 of 357	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	59.7	138 of 359	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.8	116 of 358	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.7	97 of 357	72.8%	★★★★☆
2005	64.4	110 of 359	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	76.0	46 of 357	87.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	36.7	131 of 228	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	84.9	22 of 231	90.5%	★★★★★
2022	73.8	38 of 222	82.9%	★★★★☆
2021	25.3	194 of 228	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.9	197 of 223	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.7	173 of 189	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	60.7	124 of 377	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.3	119 of 359	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.2	148 of 366	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	79.1	63 of 358	82.4%	★★★★☆
2022	88.8	32 of 367	91.3%	★★★★★
2021	74.0	74 of 359	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	72.0	89 of 354	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	75.5	71 of 347	79.5%	★★★★☆
2017	73.0	77 of 343	77.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	46.6	65 of 142	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	76.9	23 of 122	81.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	45.5	193 of 383	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.5	142 of 367	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.6	120 of 375	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.7	84 of 349	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	91.6	25 of 361	93.1%	★★★★★
2021	87.6	34 of 361	90.6%	★★★★★
2019	92.4	21 of 358	94.1%	★★★★★
2018	91.3	23 of 349	93.4%	★★★★★
2017	84.8	25 of 315	92.1%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	51.0	171 of 380	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.0	141 of 363	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	75.4	61 of 368	83.4%	★★★★☆
2023	56.7	125 of 358	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.3	87 of 366	76.2%	★★★★☆
2021	67.5	93 of 366	74.6%	★★★★☆
2019	80.0	55 of 357	84.6%	★★★★☆
2018	75.1	74 of 350	78.9%	★★★★☆
2017	74.4	65 of 339	80.8%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	14.1	61 of 66	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.2	32 of 45	28.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.8	28 of 43	34.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	46.0	86 of 197	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.4	44 of 194	77.3%	★★★★☆
2024	29.8	142 of 198	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	69.8	40 of 182	78.0%	★★★★☆
2022	49.0	70 of 169	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.3	48 of 196	75.5%	★★★★☆
2019	40.2	94 of 171	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	34.7	198 of 320	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.8	150 of 325	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.3	144 of 325	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.9	110 of 317	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.8	78 of 326	76.1%	★★★★☆
2021	58.6	98 of 319	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.3	97 of 313	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.2	105 of 300	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.9	82 of 230	64.3%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2026)67th percentile+4 vs school

Special Education (2026)56th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)55th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)54th percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)50th percentile-13 vs school

African American (2025)43rd percentile-23 vs school

White (2026)38th percentile-25 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)8th percentile-58 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

Science38%~ state avg

English29%-5 vs state

Mathematics25%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Southside High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Summative Assessment Science (2026)		Summative Assessment English (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 11th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 11th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southside High School	Public	9-12	2361 School Drive	Southside	35907	Etowah County	Etowah County	No	No	No	No	(256) 442-2172	825	43	19.0	33.7%	690 (83.6%)	46 (5.6%)	39 (4.7%)	22 (2.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.0%)	56.8	144^th of 386 public high schools	62.7%		60.6	130^th of 374 public high schools	65.2%	14			25.0		37.5			28.6	$10,046	$1,205	$8,787
Gadsden City High School	Public	9-12	1917 Black Creek Parkway	Gadsden	35904	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	No	(256) 543-3614	1,361	79	17.2	68.9%	407 (29.9%)	616 (45.3%)	301 (22.1%)	14 (1.0%)	6 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (1.2%)	37.9	243^rd of 386 public high schools	37.0%		33.3	239^th of 374 public high schools	36.1%	4			18.0		27.9			22.1	$14,210	$2,863	$11,323
C I T Y Program	Public	6-12	435 E Chestnut	Gadsden	35903	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	No	(256) 543-2489																			(n/a)
Glencoe High School	Public	9-12	803 Lonesome Bend Rd	Glencoe	35905	Etowah County	Etowah County	No	No	No	No	(256) 492-2250	300	17	17.7	37.7%	271 (90.3%)	8 (2.7%)	12 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.7%)	59	134^th of 386 public high schools	65.3%		51.8	170^th of 374 public high schools	54.5%	36			14.8		40.7			39.2	$14,740	$3,334	$11,407
Career Technical Center	Public	9-12	105 Burke Ave SE	Attalla	35954	Etowah County	Etowah County	No	No	No	No	(256) 538-3312																			(n/a)
Downtown Educational Center	Public	6-12	220 Locust Street	Gadsden	35901	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	No	(256) 547-5446																			(n/a)
Etowah High School	Public	9-12	201 Case Avenue SE	Attalla	35954	Etowah County	Attalla City	No	No	No	No	(256) 538-8381	453	31	14.7	62.7%	303 (66.9%)	62 (13.7%)	51 (11.3%)	3 (0.7%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.4%)	30	270^th of 386 public high schools	30.1%		45.3	186^th of 374 public high schools	50.3%	84			9.9		18.0			28.4	$13,864	$2,665	$10,736
Ohatchee High School	Public	7-12	100 Cherokee Trl	Ohatchee	36271	Calhoun County	Calhoun County	No	No	No	No	(256) 741-4900	391	24	16.6	44.5%	356 (91.0%)	13 (3.3%)	11 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.5%)	41.1	222^nd of 386 public high schools	42.5%		64.3	110^th of 374 public high schools	70.6%	112	29.0	20.8	17.5	50.9	22.8	54.0	57.7	31.5	$11,844	$1,537	$10,274
Hokes Bluff High School	Public	9-12	1865 Appalachia Rd	Hokes Bluff	35903	Etowah County	Etowah County	No	No	No	No	(256) 492-1360	371	21	17.4	42.0%	334 (90.0%)	3 (0.8%)	14 (3.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.6%)	46.9	190^th of 386 public high schools	50.8%		66.4	106^th of 374 public high schools	71.7%	84			22.1		36.8			19.6	$13,331	$2,719	$10,520
Gaston High School	Public	7-12	4550 US Highway 411	Gadsden	35901	Etowah County	Etowah County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 547-8828	380	20	19.0	63.9%	304 (80.0%)	20 (5.3%)	20 (5.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	31 (8.2%)	21.5	307^th of 386 public high schools	20.5%		27.3	258^th of 374 public high schools	31.0%	49	12.5	10.8	5.7	40.0	24.5	47.9	47.7	13.5	$13,313	$3,464	$9,805

Frequently Asked Questions about Southside High School

What schools feed into Southside High School?

Southside High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : John S Jones Elementary School
Elementary : Southside Elementary School
Middle : Rainbow Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Southside High School?

Students at Southside High School are 84% White, 6% African American, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Southside High School in?

Etowah County

Is Southside High School a good school?

Southside High School ranks 144^th of 386 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Southside High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 825 students attended Southside High School.

Rate Southside High School!

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2019–20 through 2022–23 school spending dataNewOct 6, 2026

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.