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South Side High School

Q: Is South Side High School a good school?

South Side High School ranks in the bottom 16.8% of Tennessee high schools.

Q: How many students attend South Side High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 756 students attended South Side High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of South Side High School?

Students at South Side High School are 43% White, 40% African American, 10% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

Q: What schools feed into South Side High School?

South Side High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Denmark Elementary School Elementary : South Elementary School Middle : West-Bemis Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

333^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 400 Tennessee High Schools

Better than 17% of Tennessee high schools

Summary

South Side High School is a comprehensive public high school in Jackson, Tennessee, serving 756 students in grades 9–12 as part of Jackson-Madison County Schools. The school currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks 333rd out of 400 Tennessee high schools, placing it in the bottom fifth statewide. The clearest bright spot is its graduation rate of 94.3%, which exceeds both the district average (93.1%) and the state average (90.5%), with a dropout rate of just 5.7%.

However, academic proficiency tells a much more difficult story. Test scores fall far below state averages in nearly every subject: Geometry proficiency is just 5.9% compared to 42.3% statewide, Biology is 16.0% versus 49.8%, and English I is 14.9% versus 37.3%. English II is a relative strength at 38.2%, closer to the state average of 58.1%. Chronic absenteeism is also a major challenge, with 31.8% of students missing significant school days — nearly double the state rate of 18.3%. The school spends $15,225 per student, which is more than nearby higher-performing schools like South Gibson County High School ($10,653) and Chester County High School ($10,883), yet those schools achieve dramatically stronger results.

The most urgent concern is how the school serves its most vulnerable students. South Side ranked last in Tennessee for special education outcomes in the most recent school year — a clear signal that this population needs immediate and targeted intervention. The contrast with the district's selective magnet schools is striking: Madison Academic Magnet High School and Jackson Central-Merry Early College High School rank in the 93rd and 86th percentiles respectively, while South Side and other comprehensive schools like North Side High School and Liberty Technology Magnet High School remain in the bottom tier. Despite the strong graduation rate, the school has shown no sustained improvement over the past decade, and families should weigh both its relational strengths and significant academic challenges when making decisions.

756

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,225

Per pupil spending ?

60.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

84 Harts Bridge Road
Jackson, TN 38301

(731) 422-9923

District: Jackson-Madison County Schools

Feeder schools for South Side High School:

Elementary:	Denmark Elementary School
	South Elementary School
Middle:	West-Bemis Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.1%

African American:

40.5%

Hispanic:

9.9%

See top rated Tennessee high schools

Compare South Side High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 32nd percentile in 2016 → 17th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Tennessee average (90%)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (20% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (32% vs 18% Tennessee)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school20%

District avg26%

Tennessee avg43%

333^rd of 400

Tennessee public high schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From bottom 32% (2016) to bottom 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 6High Schools in the Jackson-Madison County Schools

134^th of 141Jackson-Madison County Schools among Tennessee 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	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	20.9	333 of 400	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.9	336 of 389	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.1	318 of 392	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.5	324 of 384	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.9	292 of 358	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.3	307 of 347	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.7	256 of 342	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.7	222 of 341	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	27.9	208 of 273	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	37.1	240 of 351	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	51.1	182 of 300	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	44.6	195 of 296	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	38.8	229 of 285	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	63.6	114 of 269	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.7	118 of 273	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	49.4	165 of 267	38.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	18.8	197 of 230	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.9	223 of 233	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.6	202 of 240	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.9	204 of 239	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.9	194 of 222	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.5	191 of 208	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	32.2	122 of 187	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.9	104 of 199	47.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	22.7	302 of 365	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.2	282 of 365	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.6	302 of 366	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.5	285 of 350	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.8	298 of 340	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.7	248 of 337	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	25.4	187 of 229	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.7	186 of 213	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.2	101 of 209	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	25.6	159 of 202	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.0	177 of 189	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.0	150 of 180	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	58.0	42 of 153	72.5%	★★★★☆
2018	24.7	135 of 159	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	31.5	232 of 308	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.3	266 of 324	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.5	222 of 337	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	15.7	303 of 330	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.3	277 of 322	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.8	291 of 317	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.6	261 of 302	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.5	221 of 308	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	12.8	340 of 368	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.6	310 of 366	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.3	322 of 359	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.8	288 of 349	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.0	303 of 332	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	29.2	254 of 329	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	14.1	210 of 210	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.4	197 of 198	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	39.6	86 of 159	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	24.8	277 of 330	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.5	257 of 323	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.9	251 of 326	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.3	274 of 325	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.9	245 of 312	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.5	286 of 306	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	41.9	157 of 301	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.3	112 of 307	63.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)25th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)18th percentile~ school

Female (2025)17th percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)16th percentile~ school

African American (2026)14th percentile~ school

Male (2025)8th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)<1st percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

English II38%-20 vs state

US History19%-23 vs state

Algebra I18%-14 vs state

Algebra II17%-20 vs state

Biology I16%-34 vs state

English I15%-22 vs state

Geometry6%-36 vs state

★

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Schools Near South Side 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)				TNReady Mathematics (2026)			TNReady English Language Arts (2026)			TNReady Algebra I (2026)					TNReady Algebra II (2026)					TNReady Biology I (2026)					TNReady US History (2026)					TNReady English I (2026)					TNReady English II (2026)					TNReady Geometry (2026)					TNReady Science (2026)			TNReady Social Studies (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2016)	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	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 9th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 10th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 11th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 12th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Algebra II 9th Grade	TNReady Algebra II 10th Grade	TNReady Algebra II 11th Grade	TNReady Algebra II 12th Grade	TNReady Algebra II All Grades	TNReady Biology I 9th Grade	TNReady Biology I 10th Grade	TNReady Biology I 11th Grade	TNReady Biology I 12th Grade	TNReady Biology I All Grades	TNReady US History 9th Grade	TNReady US History 10th Grade	TNReady US History 11th Grade	TNReady US History 12th Grade	TNReady US History All Grades	TNReady English I 9th Grade	TNReady English I 10th Grade	TNReady English I 11th Grade	TNReady English I 12th Grade	TNReady English I All Grades	TNReady English II 9th Grade	TNReady English II 10th Grade	TNReady English II 11th Grade	TNReady English II 12th Grade	TNReady English II All Grades	TNReady Geometry 9th Grade	TNReady Geometry 10th Grade	TNReady Geometry 11th Grade	TNReady Geometry 12th Grade	TNReady Geometry All Grades	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Side High School	Public	9-12	84 Harts Bridge Road	Jackson	38301	Madison County	Jackson-Madison County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 422-9923	773	67	11.5	60.7%	348 (45.0%)	308 (39.8%)	65 (8.4%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (5.8%)	20.9	333^rd of 400 public high schools	16.8%		17.9	336^th of 389 public high schools	13.6%	3							18.9	10.0			18.2		19.7	16.9	6.7	17.2		23.1			16.0	18.3	22.8	14.8	30.4	19.4	15.4				14.9		44.4			38.2					5.9							$15,225	$1,362	$12,981
Madison Academic Magnet High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	575 Lambuth Avenue	Jackson	38301	Madison County	Jackson-Madison County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(731) 427-3501	477	27	17.5	11.7%	257 (53.9%)	86 (18.0%)	74 (15.5%)	29 (6.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.3%)	86	29^th of 400 public high schools	92.8%		90.9	18^th of 389 public high schools	95.4%	11							34.6				34.3		73.9	49.4		54.6	71.7				73.0			80.0		80.7	71.3				71.3		92.1			91.3	93.3	55.2			60.0							$13,461	$862	$11,611
Jackson Central-Merry Early College High School	Public	9-12	215 Allen Avenue	Jackson	38301	Madison County	Jackson-Madison County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 664-2575	252	15	17.1		43 (17.1%)	173 (68.7%)	20 (7.9%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.4%)	76.9	58^th of 400 public high schools	85.5%		81.8	41^st of 389 public high schools	89.5%	17							24.6				24.6		93.3	40.6		50.6	69.3				69.7		65.2			63.0	56.8				56.8		89.2			89.2		44.1			50.7							$12,996	$866	$11,969
Jackson Central Merry High School	Public	9-12	332 Lane Avenue	Jackson	38301	Madison County	Jackson-Madison County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 506-2290	464	28	16.3		31 (6.7%)	365 (78.7%)	45 (9.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.5%)	10	377^th of 400 public high schools	5.8%		11	367^th of 389 public high schools	5.7%	10							< 5%				< 5%		14.2	10.1		12.2		18.2			18.7		7.1	8.4		7.8	18.3				17.6		31.3	< 5%		26.9												$13,570	$1,522	$11,057
Liberty Technology Magnet High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	3470 Ridgecrest Road	Jackson	38305	Madison County	Jackson-Madison County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(731) 423-9086	584	41	14.3	62.7%	62 (10.6%)	430 (73.6%)	51 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (7.0%)	11.2	370^th of 400 public high schools	7.5%		9.9	370^th of 389 public high schools	4.9%								7.8				7.5		< 5%	< 5%		< 5%		15.3			14.0		25.0	15.5		15.2	17.6				17.1		25.8			23.7		< 5%	10.0		< 5%							$14,311	$1,800	$11,870
North Side High School	Public	9-12	3066 North Highland	Jackson	38305	Madison County	Jackson-Madison County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 668-3171	925	68	13.5	76.2%	180 (19.5%)	527 (57.0%)	152 (16.4%)	10 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (5.9%)	15.7	349^th of 400 public high schools	12.8%		18.4	333^rd of 389 public high schools	14.4%	16							12.6	20.0			12.9		6.1	5.7		6.3	54.2	16.5			20.6		12.5	24.4		22.7	16.1				15.9		40.3	< 5%		35.9		25.0	31.6		25.6							$15,005	$1,515	$12,728
Chester County High School	Public	9-12	552 East Main Street	Henderson	38340	Chester County	Chester County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 989-8125	809	52	15.7	43.9%	629 (77.8%)	114 (14.1%)	37 (4.6%)	6 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (2.6%)	72.2	80^th of 400 public high schools	80.0%		71.2	73^rd of 389 public high schools	81.2%	7							30.4				29.3		≥ 95%	44.0	< 5%	46.8	75.0	55.4			57.6			61.9		62.1	38.9				38.8		71.4			71.1		38.4	< 5%		35.3							$10,883	$546	$9,837
South Gibson County High School	Public	9-12	100 Mount Zion Road	Medina	38355	Gibson County	Gibson County Special School District	No	No	No	No	(731) 783-0999	788	47	16.8	9.5%	696 (88.3%)	45 (5.7%)	18 (2.3%)	17 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	9 (1.1%)	89.1	20^th of 400 public high schools	95.0%		92.2	14^th of 389 public high schools	96.4%	6							52.9				52.1			60.7		62.6		62.3			61.2			52.2	38.5	50.6	56.3				55.4		73.7			73.3		51.3			51.8							$10,653	$317	$9,782
Humboldt Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	2600 Viking Drive	Humboldt	38343	Gibson County	Humboldt City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 784-2781	407	36	11.2	99.5%	69 (17.0%)	289 (71.0%)	42 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.7%)	5.7	394^th of 400 public high schools	1.5%		8.9	375^th of 389 public high schools	3.6%	19	10.8	7.2	9.1	5.4	11.6	8.4	< 5%				< 5%			< 5%		< 5%		13.1			12.5			9.7		9.7	6.2				6.1		24.6			24.2		6.6			6.2	20.3	27.9	23.9	31.1	26.1	28.7	$16,762	$1,540	$13,619

Frequently Asked Questions about South Side High School

What district is South Side High School in?

Jackson-Madison County Schools

What is the racial makeup of South Side High School?

Students at South Side High School are 43% White, 40% African American, 10% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

How many students attend South Side High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 756 students attended South Side High School.

What schools feed into South Side High School?

South Side High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Denmark Elementary School
Elementary : South Elementary School
Middle : West-Bemis Middle School

Is South Side High School a good school?

South Side High School ranks in the bottom 16.8% of Tennessee high schools.

Rate South Side High School!

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresAug 25, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesApr 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataFeb 27, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataDec 18, 2025

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