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South Side High School

Public Grades 9-12

378^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 429 Indiana High Schools

Better than 12% of Indiana high schools

Summary

South Side High School is a public high school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, serving 1,459 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Fort Wayne Community Schools district, which is ranked 267 out of 380 districts in the state.

South Side High School consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Indiana high schools, with low academic performance on standardized tests. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 14.29% of students were proficient or better in ILEARN/Biology, compared to 26.38% for the Fort Wayne Community Schools district. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.8% to 31.5% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, the school's four-year graduation rate, between 82.4% and 88.4%, is slightly below the state and district averages.

When comparing South Side High School to other high schools in the Fort Wayne area, such as Northrop High School, R. Nelson Snider High School, and Wayne High School, it becomes clear that South Side High School is underperforming. These nearby schools have higher academic performance, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism rates. The high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds at South Side High School may be a contributing factor to the school's challenges, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and community support to improve student outcomes.

1,405

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,528

Per pupil spending ?

71.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3601 S Calhoun St
Fort Wayne, IN 46807

(260) 467-2600

District: Fort Wayne Community Schools

Feeder schools for South Side High School:

Elementary:	Fairfield Elementary School
	Harrison Hill Elementary School
	Indian Village Elementary School
	Merle J Abbett Elementary School
	More...
	South Wayne Elementary School
	Study Elementary School
Middle:	Kekionga Middle School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

37.1%

African American:

29.0%

White:

16.2%

See top rated Indiana high schools

Compare South Side High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 9th percentile in 2015 → 12th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (16% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Indiana average (79% vs 90%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school16%

District avg26%

Indiana avg42%

378^th of 429

Indiana public high schools ?

Bottom 12%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 9% (2015) to bottom 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5High Schools in the Fort Wayne Community Schools

267^th of 380Fort Wayne Community Schools among Indiana 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	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	13.0	378 of 429	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.7	368 of 432	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.0	352 of 398	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.1	366 of 409	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.2	335 of 388	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.9	340 of 389	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.2	338 of 385	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	12.1	339 of 380	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	16.0	350 of 394	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	8.9	365 of 400	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	2.8	367 of 379	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	7.5	335 of 353	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	7.8	357 of 373	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	9.7	345 of 364	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	20.0	321 of 362	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	15.4	329 of 364	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	13.7	334 of 360	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	12.6	329 of 354	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	8.8	329 of 349	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	13.5	319 of 349	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	27.1	97 of 132	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.8	103 of 132	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.5	86 of 125	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.0	108 of 125	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	3.6	43 of 44	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.5	44 of 47	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.4	47 of 49	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.2	41 of 44	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	21.2	110 of 119	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.8	79 of 94	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.8	43 of 74	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	10.0	357 of 387	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.6	345 of 392	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.8	342 of 388	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	12.5	170 of 181	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.8	150 of 184	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.1	140 of 166	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.0	146 of 164	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	13.2	345 of 377	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.7	326 of 377	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.7	336 of 379	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	11.1	356 of 386	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.0	355 of 392	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.1	346 of 383	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	13.3	105 of 111	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.5	92 of 102	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.4	97 of 104	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	80 of 94	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	17.5	280 of 298	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.1	261 of 289	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.0	236 of 285	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	36.7	246 of 377	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.3	257 of 381	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.5	229 of 375	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.6	260 of 378	31.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

White (2025)35th percentile+23 vs school

African American (2025)27th percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)8th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)8th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)8th percentile-4 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)8th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)6th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2025)6th percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)5th percentile-6 vs school

Asian (2025)2nd percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Evidence-based Reading and Writing26%-28 vs state

Biology14%-31 vs state

Mathematics7%-19 vs state

4.8

4 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★3

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Friday, September 12, 2014

South Side has been described as a school with low standards. The city of Fort Wayne finds it to be one of the worst schools in the city. I find it very sad. All the news that is broadcasted out into the public gives South Side a rough and "dangerous" vibe. There's rarely any good that is brought up upon this school. I am currently a junior and I'm apart of the class of 2016. Throughout my three years of attending the school, I feel as if I have received a huge benefit from just receiving my education at South Side. I'm involved in the International Baccalaureate program. My school is the only one in the entire city of Fort Wayne that offers that program. It is a high level, rigorous program intended for students who want to go above and beyond the academic curriculum. I feel proud. Many citizens of the city probably even have no idea what the program is.
My school is a place worth looking into and joining in. I don't enjoy the worries that my friends from other schools have towards me. They have this idea in their head that one day I'm not going to make it out of my school safely. I think to myself, there is absolutely no need for me to feel scared as I attend my school, because in the end I know that I'm entering a safe learning environment as it should be. I'm glad of it. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, February 13, 2009

South Side provides an excellent education in a caring diverse environment. My children graduated from South Side and were well prepared for college. Close Quote

Schools Near South Side High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	ILEARN English Language Arts (2025)			ILEARN Math (2025)			ILEARN Biology (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Side High School	Public	9-12	3601 S Calhoun St	Fort Wayne	46807	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-2600	1,405	95	14.7	71.5%	227 (16.2%)	408 (29.0%)	521 (37.1%)	119 (8.5%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	126 (9.0%)	13	378^th of 429 public high schools	11.9%		15.7	368^th of 432 public high schools	14.8%	10	26.4	6.7							14.3	$12,528	$1,286	$11,241
Amp Lab at Electric Works	Public	11-12	1030 Swinney Ave	Fort Wayne	46802	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(260) 467-7360	0	14	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Anthis Career Center	Public	6-12	1200 S Barr St	Fort Wayne	46802	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(260) 467-1005	0	40	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
North Side High School	Public	9-12	475 E State St	Fort Wayne	46805	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-2800	1,383	77	17.9	67.4%	437 (31.6%)	383 (27.7%)	323 (23.4%)	69 (5.0%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	167 (12.1%)	20.7	341^st of 429 public high schools	20.5%		18.2	351^st of 432 public high schools	18.8%	10	32.3	11.6							20.7	$11,899	$977	$10,922
Wayne High School	Public	9-12	9100 Winchester Rd	Fort Wayne	46819	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-6400	1,398	92	15.2	64.7%	356 (25.5%)	446 (31.9%)	291 (20.8%)	171 (12.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	133 (9.5%)	24.3	324^th of 429 public high schools	24.5%		22.7	335^th of 432 public high schools	22.5%	11	36.5	11.4							24.8	$12,486	$1,209	$11,277
East Allen University	Public	9-12	6501 Wayne Trace	Fort Wayne	46816	Allen County	East Allen County Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 446-0240	291	17	17.2	72.2%	58 (19.9%)	26 (8.9%)	39 (13.4%)	156 (53.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	72.9	69^th of 429 public high schools	83.9%		67.2	92^nd of 432 public high schools	78.7%	23	78.3	23.2							55.3	$10,830	$655	$10,175
R Nelson Snider High School	Public	9-12	4600 Fairlawn Pass	Fort Wayne	46815	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 467-4600	1,927	110	17.5	49.7%	809 (42.0%)	465 (24.1%)	331 (17.2%)	122 (6.3%)	5 (0.3%)	5 (0.3%)	190 (9.9%)	36.8	279^th of 429 public high schools	35.0%		44.6	232^nd of 432 public high schools	46.3%	47	43.9	14.6							35.8	$10,520	$994	$9,527
Northrop High School	Public	9-12	7001 Coldwater Rd	Fort Wayne	46825	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 467-2300	2,145	128	16.7	53.8%	941 (43.9%)	454 (21.2%)	412 (19.2%)	124 (5.8%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	207 (9.7%)	40	267^th of 429 public high schools	37.8%		36.4	280^th of 432 public high schools	35.2%	13	46.1	19.4							29.8	$10,505	$1,041	$9,463
New Haven Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	1300 Green Rd	New Haven	46774	Allen County	East Allen County Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 446-0220	1,413	92	15.3	65.5%	613 (43.4%)	295 (20.9%)	161 (11.4%)	235 (16.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	107 (7.6%)	14.5	373^rd of 429 public high schools	13.1%		18.7	349^th of 432 public high schools	19.2%	24	29.7	8.9	29.5	37.8	34.1	24.0	24.5	24.3	8.4	$11,522	$913	$10,609
Homestead High School	Public	9-12	4310 Homestead Rd	Fort Wayne	46814	Allen County	MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	No	No	No	No	(260) 431-2202	2,382	136	17.5	22.7%	1,818 (76.3%)	175 (7.3%)	168 (7.1%)	117 (4.9%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.0%)	99 (4.2%)	93.3	8^th of 429 public high schools	98.1%		92.1	12^th of 432 public high schools	97.2%	4	78.7	43.3							75.8	$11,038	$415	$10,623

Frequently Asked Questions about South Side High School

What is the racial makeup of South Side High School?

Students at South Side High School are 37% Hispanic, 29% African American, 16% White, 9% Two or more races, 8% Asian.

What district is South Side High School in?

Fort Wayne Community Schools

What schools feed into South Side High School?

South Side High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Fairfield Elementary School
Elementary : Harrison Hill Elementary School
Elementary : Indian Village Elementary School
Elementary : Merle J Abbett Elementary School
Elementary : South Wayne Elementary School
Elementary : Study Elementary School
Middle : Kekionga Middle School

Is South Side High School a good school?

South Side High School ranks in the bottom 11.9% of Indiana high schools.

How many students attend South Side High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,405 students attended South Side High School.

Rate South Side High School!

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