Southside School District (Independence)

The Southside School District (Independence) in Arkansas consists of 4 schools, including 1 elementary school, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school. The district serves a diverse student population, with relatively high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating economic challenges.

Southside Elementary School stands out as a high-performing institution, ranking 158 out of 497 Arkansas elementary schools and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school consistently outperforms the district and state averages in core subject areas, such as English Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, and Science. Additionally, Southside Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 18.7, which may contribute to its strong academic performance.

In contrast, the secondary schools in the district have more mixed results. Southside Junior High School and Southside Middle School generally perform above the district and state averages in certain subjects, while Southside Charter High School has a more varied performance, with some grades and subjects exceeding the district and state averages, and others falling behind. Interestingly, Southside Charter High School has an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 6.9, which may contribute to its relatively strong performance compared to the other high schools in the district.