South Elementary

Summary:

South Elementary is a public elementary school in Pataskala, Ohio, serving 777 students in grades 1-4. It is part of the Licking Heights Local School District, which is ranked 408 out of 839 school districts in Ohio and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Elementary stands out for its consistently strong academic performance, consistently outperforming the district and state averages in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) assessments across grades 3 and 4. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 70.3% of 3rd-grade students at South Elementary were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 66% for the Licking Heights Local district and 62.1% for the state. The school also ranks in the top 5% of Ohio elementary schools for African American students and in the top 10% for Hispanic students in both Mathematics and ELA assessments.

While South Elementary's academic performance is impressive, the school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 4.4% in 2019-2020 to 14.9% in 2022-2023. This is higher than the nearby West Elementary (7.7% in 2023-2024) and Licking Heights North Elementary (25.3% in 2023-2024). Addressing this issue could be a focus area for the school and district to ensure continued student success.


Detail:

Public 1-4

 6623 Summit Rd SW
       Pataskala, OH  43062-8768


(740) 964-1674

District: Licking Heights Local

SchoolDigger Rank:
649th of 1,577 Ohio Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,529 Help


Students who attend South Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Licking Heights Central Intermediate School
    Licking Heights Middle School
High:    Licking Heights High School

Student/teacher ratio:  19.2 Help
Number of students:  771

Racial breakdown:

White:
31.6%
Asian:
31.3%
African American:
26.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  66.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details South Elementary ranks better than 58.8% of elementary schools in Ohio. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 65.34. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at South Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (31.6%), Asian (31.3%), African American (26.5%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 66.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Licking Heights Local School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Elementary is 19.2, which is the 2nd best among 2 elementary schools in the Licking Heights Local School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare South Elementary employs 40 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Elementary is $9,529, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Licking Heights Local School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

South Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks South Elementary 649th of 1577 Ohio public elementary schools. (See South Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Licking Heights Local:

SchoolDigger ranks Licking Heights Local 408th of 839 Ohio school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for South Elementary

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Rank History for all students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 54.47 789th 1471 46.4%
2005 53.69 817th 1501 45.6%
2006 44.25 1019th 1504 32.2%
2007 73.88 405th 1609 74.8%
2008 66.60 603rd 1582 61.9%
2009 59.41 856th 1610 46.8%
2010 53.16 1010th 1662 39.2%
2011 55.54 999th 1686 40.7%
2012 60.30 920th 1709 46.2%
2013 53.06 1051st 1701 38.2%
2014 59.72 932nd 1687 44.8%
2015 65.74 685th 1684 59.3%
2016 64.34 751st 1678 55.2%
2017 58.54 897th 1651 45.7%
2018 61.12 792nd 1636 51.6%
2019 54.63 933rd 1676 44.3%
2021 36.70 1066th 1610 33.8%
2022 55.01 850th 1588 46.5%
2023 56.33 851st 1596 46.7%
2024 65.34 649th 1577 58.8%
See the entire list of Ohio Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.88 124th 166 25.3%
2021 28.98 108th 139 22.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.58 58th 174 66.7%
2019 63.60 44th 169 74.0%
2021 50.30 77th 183 57.9%
2022 62.90 69th 213 67.6%
2023 63.77 65th 239 72.8%
2024 66.19 72nd 258 72.1%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 39.02 503rd 856 41.2%
2024 44.75 444th 900 50.7%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.58 742nd 1465 49.4%
2019 49.31 846th 1465 42.3%
2021 40.31 857th 1404 39.0%
2022 65.07 493rd 1419 65.3%
2023 62.20 558th 1447 61.4%
2024 71.52 379th 1484 74.5%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.00 834th 1518 45.1%
2019 55.76 828th 1502 44.9%
2021 34.35 995th 1467 32.2%
2022 56.59 761st 1488 48.9%
2023 53.88 796th 1483 46.3%
2024 65.42 577th 1466 60.6%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.28 622nd 1021 39.1%
2019 49.73 423rd 956 55.8%
2021 24.97 615th 765 19.6%
2022 46.20 390th 824 52.7%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 51.03 546th 759 28.1%
2021 59.45 94th 219 57.1%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.15 702nd 1536 54.3%
2019 55.80 823rd 1535 46.4%
2021 29.04 1070th 1499 28.6%
2022 48.11 899th 1518 40.8%
2023 54.67 801st 1498 46.5%
2024 64.51 618th 1485 58.4%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 18.39 67th 78 14.1%
2022 23.67 66th 78 15.4%
2023 27.38 67th 80 16.3%
2024 28.00 68th 81 16.0%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.01 126th 598 78.9%
2019 72.51 117th 605 80.7%
2021 56.41 154th 533 71.1%
2022 83.34 70th 601 88.4%
2023 83.46 64th 610 89.5%
2024 91.70 23rd 603 96.2%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.70 76th 239 68.2%
2023 63.51 66th 233 71.7%
2024 70.37 40th 234 82.9%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at South Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.35 540th 1309 58.7%
2019 57.92 628th 1271 50.6%
2021 23.76 1025th 1249 17.9%
2022 45.90 779th 1242 37.3%
2023 53.12 657th 1215 45.9%
2024 72.41 346th 1190 70.9%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Ohio Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

South Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Ohio Department of Education

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Enrollment information for South Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 291 35 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 328
1989 269 26 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 296
1990 280 23 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 303
1991 290 25 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 316
1992 322 18 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 340
1993 298 20 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 318
1994 298 16 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 314
1995 238 9 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 247
1996 238 9 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 247
1997 202 7 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 209
1998 217 12 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 230
1999 242 12 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 256
2000 263 19 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 285
2001 283 39 2 5 0 n/a n/a 0 329
2002 522 89 2 11 2 n/a n/a 13 639
2003 522 89 2 11 2 n/a n/a 13 639
2004 470 126 3 9 0 n/a n/a 16 624
2005 482 135 3 15 0 n/a n/a 21 656
2006 535 169 6 13 1 n/a n/a 24 748
2007 413 136 2 8 1 n/a n/a 27 587
2008 415 147 4 9 0 n/a n/a 33 608
2009 448 151 4 12 0 n/a n/a 43 658
2010 471 169 5 12 0 n/a n/a 47 704
2011 510 174 9 19 3 0 63 0 778
2012 500 185 10 28 2 0 80 0 805
2013 385 172 8 27 1 0 62 0 655
2014 351 170 6 26 0 0 58 0 611
2015 460 195 5 26 0 0 41 0 727
2016 451 204 7 29 0 0 51 0 742
2017 520 200 18 51 0 0 56 0 845
2018 493 204 50 46 0 1 54 0 848
2019 480 216 102 45 1 0 57 0 901
2020 426 234 148 55 2 1 62 0 928
2021 300 187 146 38 1 1 56 0 729
2022 282 222 195 32 1 5 2 0 739
2023 272 202 221 52 0 3 27 0 777
2024 244 204 241 45 0 2 35 0 771

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 328 19.0 17.2 0
1989 296 19.0 15.5 n/a
1990 303 19.0 15.9 n/a
1991 316 20.0 15.8 n/a
1992 340 18.0 18.8 12.4
1993 318 17.0 18.7 17.6
1994 314 15.0 20.9 17.5
1995 247 14.0 17.6 12.1
1996 247 14.0 17.6 12.1
1997 209 15.0 13.9 12
1998 230 15.5 14.8 8.3
1999 256 14.0 18.3 12.9
2000 285 16.0 17.8 17.5
2001 329 17.0 19.4 19.5
2002 639 36.5 17.5 16
2003 639 36.5 17.5 16
2004 624 33.0 18.9 24.2
2005 656 39.0 16.8 30.1
2006 748 45.8 16.3 28.5
2007 587 34.0 17.3 33.2
2008 608 34.0 17.9 n/a
2009 658 37.0 17.8 35.3
2010 704 39.0 18.0 38.4
2011 778 38.0 20.4 35.9
2012 805 39.8 20.1 38.5
2013 655 32.4 20.2 39.1
2014 611 31.6 19.3 41.7
2015 727 n/a n/a 38.7
2016 742 36.0 20.6 38.7
2017 845 41.1 20.5 46
2018 848 40.0 21.2 46.1
2019 901 38.0 23.7 45.9
2020 928 42.0 22.0 50.8
2021 729 42.0 17.3 n/a
2022 739 35.0 21.1 n/a
2023 777 38.0 20.4 52
2024 771 40.0 19.2 66.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio South Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 328 19.0 17.2 0
1989 296 19.0 15.5 n/a
1990 303 19.0 15.9 n/a
1991 316 20.0 15.8 n/a
1992 340 18.0 18.8 12.4
1993 318 17.0 18.7 17.6
1994 314 15.0 20.9 17.5
1995 247 14.0 17.6 12.1
1996 247 14.0 17.6 12.1
1997 209 15.0 13.9 12
1998 230 15.5 14.8 8.3
1999 256 14.0 18.3 12.9
2000 285 16.0 17.8 17.5
2001 329 17.0 19.4 19.5
2002 639 36.5 17.5 16
2003 639 36.5 17.5 16
2004 624 33.0 18.9 24.2
2005 656 39.0 16.8 30.1
2006 748 45.8 16.3 28.5
2007 587 34.0 17.3 33.2
2008 608 34.0 17.9 n/a
2009 658 37.0 17.8 35.3
2010 704 39.0 18.0 38.4
2011 778 38.0 20.4 35.9
2012 805 39.8 20.1 38.5
2013 655 32.4 20.2 39.1
2014 611 31.6 19.3 41.7
2015 727 n/a n/a 38.7
2016 742 36.0 20.6 38.7
2017 845 41.1 20.5 46
2018 848 40.0 21.2 46.1
2019 901 38.0 23.7 45.9
2020 928 42.0 22.0 50.8
2021 729 42.0 17.3 n/a
2022 739 35.0 21.1 n/a
2023 777 38.0 20.4 52
2024 771 40.0 19.2 66.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for South Elementary

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $7,680
2022 $8,651
2023 $9,124
2024 $9,529

Data source: Ohio Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 933rd of 1676 Elementary schoolsRanks 851st of 1596 Elementary schools
 2.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (South Elementary)65.263.9
 1.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Licking Heights Local)6764.6
 2.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Ohio)67.162.2
 4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Elementary)7253.6
 18.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Licking Heights Local)71.657.4
 14.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)66.762.3
 4.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (South Elementary)71.868.2
 3.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Licking Heights Local)72.269.7
 2.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Ohio)74.366.8
 7.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Elementary)62.965.6
 2.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Licking Heights Local)6463.3
 0.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)63.358.9
 4.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students901777
 13.8%
African American216202
 6.5%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian102221
 116.7%
Hispanic4552
 15.6%
Pacific Islander03
White480272
 43.3%
Two or More Races5727
 52.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients45.9%52%
 6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about South Elementary

In the 2023-24 school year, 771 students attended South Elementary.

South Elementary ranks 649th of 1577 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at South Elementary are 32% White, 31% Asian, 26% African American, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.


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





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