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Southern High

Q: Is Southern High a good school?

Southern High ranks in the bottom 5.9% of Kentucky high schools.

Q: How many students attend Southern High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,725 students attended Southern High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Southern High?

Students at Southern High are 40% Hispanic, 29% African American, 25% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into Southern High?

Southern High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Blake Elementary Elementary : Blue Lick Elementary Elementary : Laukhuf Elementary Elementary : Okolona Elementary Elementary : Slaughter Elementary Middle : Knight Middle

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

239^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 254 Kentucky High Schools

Better than 6% of Kentucky high schools

Summary

Southern High is a public magnet high school in Louisville, Kentucky, serving 1,540 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Jefferson County school district, which is ranked 140 out of 157 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite having a relatively high per-student spending level and a low student-teacher ratio, Southern High consistently ranks in the bottom quarter of Kentucky high schools. The school's performance on state assessments is significantly below the Jefferson County and Kentucky averages across all subject areas, with only 17% of 10th-grade students proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 30% in the district and 41% statewide. Southern High also has a higher dropout rate and a very high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 25% to 52.8% in recent years.

Interestingly, the nearby Louisville Male High, Fairdale High, and Marion C. Moore School generally outperform Southern High on academic measures, graduation rates, and student subgroup performance, despite having higher rates of chronic absenteeism and free/reduced-price lunch recipients. This suggests that Southern High may be serving a more disadvantaged student population, which could be contributing to its lower academic outcomes.

1,725

Students ?

17.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,069

Per pupil spending ?

64.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8620 Preston Highway
Louisville, KY 40219

(502) 485-8330

District: Jefferson County

Feeder schools for Southern High:

Elementary:	Blake Elementary
	Blue Lick Elementary
	Laukhuf Elementary
	Okolona Elementary
	More...
	Slaughter Elementary
Middle:	Knight Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

39.7%

African American:

29.4%

White:

24.8%

See top rated Kentucky high schools

Compare Southern High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 23rd percentile in 2015 → 6th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kentucky average (18% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Kentucky average (87% vs 94%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school18%

District avg30%

Kentucky avg39%

239^th of 254

Kentucky public high schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 17 pts since 2015

From bottom 23% (2015) to bottom 6% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 22High Schools in the Jefferson County

140^th of 157Jefferson County among Kentucky 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	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	6.1	239 of 254	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.2	254 of 290	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.1	245 of 276	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.4	223 of 271	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.1	247 of 267	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.1	242 of 285	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	8.6	234 of 271	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.4	229 of 287	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	24.4	224 of 288	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	18.6	228 of 295	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	26.9	224 of 290	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	37.0	206 of 291	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	20.8	205 of 229	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	18.8	208 of 226	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	14.9	207 of 223	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	20.8	191 of 217	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	18.2	195 of 217	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	12.8	209 of 217	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	19.3	64 of 75	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.4	82 of 93	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.5	79 of 83	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	27.7	65 of 89	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.6	56 of 78	28.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.8	76 of 89	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.0	85 of 94	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	23.5	19 of 25	24.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.0	20 of 28	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	13.8	20 of 23	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2022	43.0	80 of 153	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.0	63 of 154	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	15.4	161 of 166	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	31.1	122 of 166	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	21.0	8 of 8	0.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.8	17 of 48	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.6	17 of 41	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.1	19 of 37	48.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.9	12 of 29	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.3	20 of 29	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.0	19 of 30	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	6.4	224 of 239	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.4	247 of 261	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.2	240 of 253	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.8	225 of 252	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.1	221 of 236	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.3	226 of 249	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.7	221 of 234	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	8.5	111 of 115	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.7	111 of 124	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.1	107 of 116	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.9	99 of 114	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.6	68 of 92	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.9	86 of 88	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.6	75 of 80	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2022	28.0	23 of 32	28.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.6	20 of 33	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	8.9	229 of 242	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.5	253 of 274	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.6	244 of 272	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.2	208 of 266	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.5	224 of 234	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.6	215 of 254	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.4	217 of 232	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	5.3	235 of 239	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.8	236 of 262	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.7	235 of 259	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.5	213 of 257	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.3	225 of 238	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.8	217 of 251	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.0	211 of 237	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	15.0	79 of 89	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.9	72 of 77	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.7	36 of 39	7.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2024	25.6	137 of 168	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.4	98 of 162	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	8.1	207 of 226	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	9.2	235 of 251	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.3	232 of 273	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.6	235 of 264	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.3	192 of 260	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.6	184 of 203	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.3	188 of 219	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.7	184 of 198	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)48th percentile+30 vs school

Homeless (2022)28th percentile+10 vs school

Asian (2025)24th percentile+18 vs school

Special Education (2024)18th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2025)15th percentile+9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)11th percentile+5 vs school

White (2025)6th percentile~ school

Female (2025)6th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)5th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)3rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)2nd percentile-4 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)<1st percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Reading23%-24 vs state

Writing22%-23 vs state

Editing and Mechanics19%-22 vs state

Social Studies18%-20 vs state

Mathematics17%-24 vs state

Science8%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southern High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				KSA Mathematics (2025)				KSA Reading (2025)				KSA Science (2025)		KSA Writing (2025)		KSA Social Studies (2025)		KSA Editing and Mechanics (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	KSA Mathematics 6th Grade	KSA Mathematics 7th Grade	KSA Mathematics 8th Grade	KSA Mathematics 10th Grade	KSA Reading 6th Grade	KSA Reading 7th Grade	KSA Reading 8th Grade	KSA Reading 10th Grade	KSA Science 7th Grade	KSA Science 11th Grade	KSA Writing 8th Grade	KSA Writing 11th Grade	KSA Social Studies 8th Grade	KSA Social Studies 11th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 8th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Southern High	Public, Magnet	9-12	8620 Preston Highway	Louisville	40219	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8330	1,725	98	17.5	64.8%	427 (24.8%)	508 (29.4%)	685 (39.7%)	36 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	65 (3.8%)	6.1	239^th of 254 public high schools	5.9%		9.2	254^th of 290 public high schools	12.4%	15				17.0				23.0		8.0		22.0		18.0		19.0	$20,069	$946	$2,216	$3,162	$12,725	$4,182	$16,907
Marion C. Moore School	Public, Magnet	6-12	6415 Outer Loop	Louisville	40228	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8304	1,892	133	14.2	67.7%	453 (23.9%)	607 (32.1%)	632 (33.4%)	107 (5.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	92 (4.9%)	3.1	247^th of 254 public high schools	2.8%		9.4	251^st of 290 public high schools	13.4%	4	16.0	20.0	17.0	10.0	26.0	23.0	20.0	16.0			23.0	21.0	18.0	13.0	22.0	15.0	$22,955	$1,067	$1,936	$3,003	$15,573	$4,380	$19,952
Mary Ryan Academy	Public	9-12	3307 East Indian Trail	Louisville	40213	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	No	(502) 485-7988	16	5	3.1	87.5%	8 (50.0%)	5 (31.3%)	3 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																	$75,137	$8,411	$1,571	$9,982	$61,792	$3,362	$65,154
W.E.B. DuBois Academy	Public, Magnet	6-12	3307 East Indian Trail	Louisville	40213	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8253	477	38	12.7	61.8%	15 (3.1%)	401 (84.1%)	24 (5.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.1%)								(n/a)	20.0	21.0	14.0		32.0	58.0	22.0	31.0	19.0	17.0	11.0		21.0	30.0	27.0	21.0	$28,762	$1,436	$2,358	$3,794	$20,045	$4,923	$24,967
Georgia Chaffee Teenage Parent Program	Public	6-12	1010 Neighborhood Pl	Fairdale	40118	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 485-8748	43	19	2.2	76.7%	11 (25.6%)	17 (39.5%)	13 (30.2%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)								(n/a)																	$97,838	$1,882	$1,921	$3,804	$90,088	$3,947	$94,035
Liberty High	Public	7-12	1281 Gilmore Lane	Louisville	40213	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 485-7100	100	28	3.5	71.0%	37 (37.0%)	52 (52.0%)	5 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.0%)								(n/a)																	$62,098	$956	$2,104	$3,061	$54,423	$4,614	$59,037
Fairdale High	Public, Magnet	9-12	1001 Fairdale Road	Fairdale	40118	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8248	1,405	91	15.4	65.6%	597 (42.5%)	228 (16.2%)	501 (35.7%)	37 (2.6%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	38 (2.7%)	10.7	232^nd of 254 public high schools	8.7%		12.7	242^nd of 290 public high schools	16.6%	10				21.0				28.0				31.0		20.0		21.0	$20,119	$777	$1,919	$2,697	$13,493	$3,929	$17,423
Louisville Male High	Public, Magnet	9-12	4409 Preston Highway	Louisville	40213	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	No	(502) 485-8292	1,763	92	19.1	46.2%	720 (40.8%)	776 (44.0%)	113 (6.4%)	49 (2.8%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (5.8%)	66.2	63^rd of 254 public high schools	75.2%		76.2	43^rd of 290 public high schools	85.2%	20				45.0				47.0		21.0		60.0		46.0		53.0	$17,182	$457	$1,613	$2,070	$11,624	$3,488	$15,112
Minor Daniels Academy	Public	6-12	1960 Bashford Manor Ln	Louisville	40218	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 485-8316	184	28	6.5	79.9%	20 (10.9%)	134 (72.8%)	12 (6.5%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (8.7%)								(n/a)																17.0	$37,065	$1,686	$1,669	$3,354	$29,950	$3,762	$33,711
Fern Creek High	Public	9-12	9115 Fern Creek Road	Louisville	40291	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 485-8251	1,525	101	15.1	58.5%	494 (32.4%)	499 (32.7%)	383 (25.1%)	93 (6.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (3.6%)	17.8	213^th of 254 public high schools	16.1%		21.1	225^th of 290 public high schools	22.4%	12				23.0				32.0		13.0		38.0		26.0		25.0	$20,683	$1,032	$1,905	$2,937	$13,931	$3,815	$17,746

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern High

What district is Southern High in?

Jefferson County

What schools feed into Southern High?

Southern High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Blake Elementary
Elementary : Blue Lick Elementary
Elementary : Laukhuf Elementary
Elementary : Okolona Elementary
Elementary : Slaughter Elementary
Middle : Knight Middle

Is Southern High a good school?

Southern High ranks in the bottom 5.9% of Kentucky high schools.

How many students attend Southern High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,725 students attended Southern High.

What is the racial makeup of Southern High?

Students at Southern High are 40% Hispanic, 29% African American, 25% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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