South High

Summary:

South High is a public high school in Bakersfield, California, serving 2,176 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Kern High School District, which is ranked 895 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

South High has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from 819 out of 2,039 California high schools in 2015-2016 to 1,300 out of 2,123 in 2021-2022. In the most recent school year, South High ranked 970 out of 2,323 California high schools, with a 3-star rating. The school's performance on standardized tests is generally higher than the district and state averages, particularly in English Language Arts/Literacy. However, its Mathematics proficiency rate is lower than the district and state. South High maintains a relatively high graduation rate, but its dropout rate and chronic absenteeism have been areas of concern.

Compared to nearby schools, South High generally outperforms Mira Monte High and Del Oro High, but Ridgeview High and Golden Valley High have higher rankings and better performance in some areas. South High's high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds likely contributes to its challenges, but the school's migrant student population has performed exceptionally well.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1101 Planz Rd.
       Bakersfield, CA  93304-6150


(661) 831-3680

District: Kern High

SchoolDigger Rank:
970th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,479 Help


Feeder schools for South High:

Elementary:    Frank West Elementary
    Planz Elementary
    Prosperity Elementary
    Raffaello Palla Elementary
Middle:    Greenfield Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  23.2 Help
Number of students:  2,176

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
85.3%
African American:
8.1%
White:
4.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  95.7% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details South High ranks better than 58.2% of high schools in California. It also ranks 8th among 24 ranked high schools in the Kern High School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.92. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at South High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (85.3%), African American (8.1%), White (4.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 95.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South High is 23.2, which is the 8th best among 24 high schools in the Kern High School District. (See more...)
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Compare South High employs 93.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at South High is $8,479. 13 high schools in the Kern High School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

South High:

SchoolDigger ranks South High 970th of 2323 California public high schools. (See South High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Kern High:

SchoolDigger ranks Kern High 895th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for South High

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Rank History for all students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 33.24 857th 1653 48.2%
2005 36.27 893rd 1901 53.0%
2006 35.30 975th 1968 50.5%
2007 35.72 997th 2063 51.7%
2008 33.23 1090th 2117 48.5%
2009 33.99 1226th 2238 45.2%
2010 38.66 1043rd 2281 54.3%
2011 41.25 1022nd 2367 56.8%
2012 39.67 1063rd 2354 54.8%
2013 39.63 1065th 2426 56.1%
2015 33.57 1292nd 1994 35.2%
2016 58.44 819th 2039 59.8%
2017 57.63 846th 2021 58.1%
2018 50.71 1000th 2017 50.4%
2019 37.82 1268th 2133 40.6%
2022 35.16 1300th 2123 38.8%
2023 47.21 929th 2348 60.4%
2024 45.92 970th 2323 58.2%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.13 634th 938 32.4%
2019 36.40 553rd 941 41.2%
2022 41.97 478th 1044 54.2%
2023 45.70 333rd 1323 74.8%
2024 48.83 279th 1350 79.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 31.33 936th 1547 39.5%
2024 37.80 760th 1534 50.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.99 696th 1862 62.6%
2019 47.45 998th 1937 48.5%
2022 42.32 1059th 1943 45.5%
2023 57.44 690th 2247 69.3%
2024 52.32 802nd 2235 64.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 63.56 24th 89 73.0%
2024 88.55 8th 100 92.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Female students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.80 878th 1760 50.1%
2019 33.47 1199th 1833 34.6%
2022 31.23 1246th 1858 32.9%
2023 46.82 905th 2118 57.3%
2024 42.93 1006th 2098 52.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.68 539th 1052 48.8%
2019 28.26 807th 1117 27.8%
2022 24.63 988th 1161 14.9%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.40 1044th 1834 43.1%
2019 36.97 1140th 1880 39.4%
2022 35.29 1164th 1916 39.2%
2023 45.21 916th 2207 58.5%
2024 46.46 892nd 2172 58.9%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 3.75 564th 582 3.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.73 361st 582 38.0%
2019 43.03 311th 592 47.5%
2022 29.81 367th 522 29.7%
2023 27.99 512th 720 28.9%
2024 41.67 374th 721 48.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.12 600th 1742 65.6%
2019 48.53 920th 1814 49.3%
2022 44.62 967th 1861 48.0%
2023 62.06 560th 2142 73.9%
2024 55.85 695th 2125 67.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.28 929th 1173 20.8%
2019 21.52 988th 1222 19.1%
2022 23.06 939th 1204 22.0%
2023 19.94 1096th 1434 23.6%
2024 42.54 712th 1406 49.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California 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 High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for South High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1353 274 67 499 56 n/a n/a 0 2249
1989 1271 286 75 503 51 n/a n/a 0 2186
1990 1206 260 79 481 59 n/a n/a 0 2085
1991 1147 284 74 472 70 n/a n/a 0 2047
1992 962 286 77 497 56 n/a n/a 0 1878
1993 906 310 93 534 47 n/a n/a 0 1890
1994 760 337 84 611 31 n/a n/a 0 1823
1995 701 423 93 801 17 n/a n/a 0 2035
1996 701 423 93 801 17 n/a n/a 0 2035
1997 692 418 118 861 12 n/a n/a 0 2101
1998 682 416 129 955 13 n/a n/a 0 2195
1999 647 373 250 984 16 n/a n/a 0 2270
2000 624 429 253 1039 11 n/a n/a 0 2356
2001 621 406 242 1172 14 n/a n/a 0 2455
2002 554 452 171 1430 15 n/a n/a 0 2622
2003 554 452 171 1430 15 n/a n/a 0 2622
2004 354 394 232 1276 15 n/a n/a 0 2271
2005 359 365 189 1225 15 n/a n/a 0 2153
2006 313 293 173 1236 19 n/a n/a 0 2034
2007 277 289 151 1252 15 n/a n/a 26 2010
2008 286 259 98 1376 12 n/a n/a 0 2031
2009 260 276 80 1410 20 6 14 0 2066
2010 199 243 74 1419 20 8 12 0 1975
2011 178 239 76 1384 20 5 13 0 1915
2012 160 242 73 1461 20 2 23 0 1981
2013 129 235 64 1490 14 2 30 0 1964
2014 130 226 63 1479 13 2 14 0 1927
2015 111 213 60 1542 8 6 27 0 1967
2016 111 194 48 1586 13 3 26 0 1981
2017 95 185 47 1653 12 3 33 0 2028
2018 89 178 51 1733 10 3 33 0 2097
2019 93 179 53 1798 8 3 27 0 2161
2020 92 219 48 1923 5 4 28 1 2320
2021 93 209 35 1959 6 3 18 0 2323
2022 90 203 33 1946 6 4 17 0 2299
2023 91 177 31 1857 5 2 13 0 2176

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 High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2249 89.6 25.1 n/a
1989 2186 83.3 26.2 n/a
1990 2085 89.0 23.4 n/a
1991 2047 88.9 23.0 n/a
1992 1878 90.3 20.7 22.6
1993 1890 69.4 27.2 21.7
1994 1823 70.6 25.8 31.2
1995 2035 73.4 27.7 34.7
1996 2035 73.4 27.7 34.7
1997 2101 74.5 28.2 23
1998 2195 79.5 27.6 43.3
1999 2270 88.9 25.5 44.8
2000 2356 84.8 27.8 51.4
2001 2455 102.4 24.0 51.2
2002 2622 115.0 22.8 57.6
2003 2622 115.0 22.8 57.6
2004 2271 102.8 22.1 56.9
2005 2153 99.2 21.7 59.4
2006 2034 96.3 21.1 61.8
2007 2010 94.3 21.3 64.5
2008 2031 102.6 19.8 63
2009 2066 87.7 20.8 74.6
2010 1975 83.4 23.6 82.9
2011 1915 n/a n/a 86.2
2012 1981 67.4 29.3 n/a
2013 1964 77.9 25.2 77.4
2014 1927 74.6 25.8 84.7
2015 1967 71.0 27.7 89.5
2016 1981 78.0 25.3 92.4
2017 2028 83.4 24.2 92
2018 2097 78.7 26.6 93.1
2019 2161 85.5 25.2 94
2020 2320 n/a n/a 94.6
2021 2323 93.0 24.9 94.4
2022 2299 97.1 23.6 94.4
2023 2176 93.4 23.2 95.7

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 High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2249 89.6 25.1 n/a
1989 2186 83.3 26.2 n/a
1990 2085 89.0 23.4 n/a
1991 2047 88.9 23.0 n/a
1992 1878 90.3 20.7 22.6
1993 1890 69.4 27.2 21.7
1994 1823 70.6 25.8 31.2
1995 2035 73.4 27.7 34.7
1996 2035 73.4 27.7 34.7
1997 2101 74.5 28.2 23
1998 2195 79.5 27.6 43.3
1999 2270 88.9 25.5 44.8
2000 2356 84.8 27.8 51.4
2001 2455 102.4 24.0 51.2
2002 2622 115.0 22.8 57.6
2003 2622 115.0 22.8 57.6
2004 2271 102.8 22.1 56.9
2005 2153 99.2 21.7 59.4
2006 2034 96.3 21.1 61.8
2007 2010 94.3 21.3 64.5
2008 2031 102.6 19.8 63
2009 2066 87.7 20.8 74.6
2010 1975 83.4 23.6 82.9
2011 1915 n/a n/a 86.2
2012 1981 67.4 29.3 n/a
2013 1964 77.9 25.2 77.4
2014 1927 74.6 25.8 84.7
2015 1967 71.0 27.7 89.5
2016 1981 78.0 25.3 92.4
2017 2028 83.4 24.2 92
2018 2097 78.7 26.6 93.1
2019 2161 85.5 25.2 94
2020 2320 n/a n/a 94.6
2021 2323 93.0 24.9 94.4
2022 2299 97.1 23.6 94.4
2023 2176 93.4 23.2 95.7

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 High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $8,479

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

Impact of COVID-19 on South High

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 1268th of 2133 High schoolsRanks 929th of 2348 High schools
 19.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (South High)40.857.3
 16.5%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Kern High)51.151
 0.2%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (South High)18.916.5
 2.4%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Kern High)2117
 4%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
11th Grade Science (South High)18.419.7
 1.3%
   11th Grade Science (Kern High)22.623.9
 1.3%
   11th Grade Science (California)30.431.7
 1.3%
12th Grade Science (South High)12.924
 11.1%
   12th Grade Science (Kern High)13.118.8
 5.7%
   12th Grade Science (California)25.626.9
 1.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students21612176
 0.7%
African American179177
 1.1%
American Indian85
 37.5%
Asian5331
 41.5%
Hispanic17981857
 3.3%
Pacific Islander32
 33.3%
White9391
 2.2%
Two or More Races2713
 51.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients94%95.7%
 1.7%


Schools Near South High









Frequently Asked Questions about South High

South High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Frank West Elementary
Elementary : Planz Elementary
Elementary : Prosperity Elementary
Elementary : Raffaello Palla Elementary
Middle : Greenfield Middle

Students at South High are 85% Hispanic, 8% African American, 4% White, 1% Asian.

South High ranks 970th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,176 students attended South High.


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