Southside Elementary School

Q: Is Southside Elementary School a good school?

Southside Elementary School ranks 793 rd of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Southside Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 564 students in grades PK-5 in Cairo, Georgia, which is part of the Grady County School District. Despite being located in the same district, Southside Elementary has consistently underperformed compared to other area schools, ranking in the bottom half of Georgia elementary schools over the past decade.

Southside Elementary faces significant challenges, including consistently low test scores, with only 13.7% of 3rd graders proficient or better in ELA compared to 30.5% in Grady County and 38.4% statewide. The school also has a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, indicating a high-poverty student population. Additionally, Southside spends around $8,800 per student, which is lower than nearby Shiver Elementary ($9,800) and Whigham Elementary ($9,457), and has a higher student-teacher ratio of 13.2 compared to 11.8 and 12.3 at those schools, respectively.

While Southside Elementary is part of the Grady County district, which has room for improvement, the school's proximity to higher-performing peers like Eastside Elementary and Northside Elementary suggests that factors specific to Southside may be contributing to its underperformance. Addressing the needs of the high-poverty student population and implementing targeted interventions will be crucial for improving student outcomes at Southside Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

322 4th Avenue SE
Cairo, GA 39828

(229) 377-3723

District: Grady County

SchoolDigger Rank:
793^rd of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Students who attend Southside Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Washington Middle School
High:	Cairo High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.2

Number of students: 564

Racial breakdown:

African American:

41.1%

Hispanic:

31.9%

White:

23.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Southside Elementary School ranks worse than 63.5% of elementary schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.55. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

Southside Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Grady County:

SchoolDigger ranks Grady County 94^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Southside Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	52.23	608^th	1101	44.8%
2007	46.56	697^th	1125	38.0%
2008	47.24	671^st	1134	40.8%
2009	52.10	608^th	1133	46.3%
2010	61.01	522^nd	1183	55.9%
2011	47.31	754^th	1212	37.8%
2012	52.13	694^th	1201	42.2%
2013	58.11	634^th	1225	48.2%
2014	39.28	896^th	1231	27.2%
2015	28.50	890^th	1240	28.2%
2016	27.34	889^th	1233	27.9%
2017	17.78	1008^th	1205	16.3%
2018	18.25	1006^th	1209	16.8%
2019	23.97	939^th	1234	23.9%
2021	44.43	625^th	1214	48.5%
2022	37.46	739^th	1244	40.6%
2023	35.28	764^th	1242	38.5%
2024	33.55	793^rd	1248	36.5%

See the entire list of Georgia Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Southside Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	590	590
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	544	544
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	574	574
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	669	669
1994	344	334	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	682
1995	364	301	0	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	677
1996	364	301	0	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	677
1997	345	361	0	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	727
1998	334	348	2	24	2	n/a	n/a	0	710
1999	340	373	4	32	2	n/a	n/a	0	751
2000	309	397	5	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	740
2001	304	407	5	20	2	n/a	n/a	0	738
2002	277	365	4	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	680
2003	277	365	4	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	680
2004	285	337	3	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	651
2005	276	326	3	22	0	n/a	n/a	8	635
2006	268	329	3	22	0	n/a	n/a	9	631
2007	239	326	3	32	0	n/a	n/a	9	609
2008	210	312	2	37	0	n/a	n/a	7	568
2009	194	291	2	45	1	n/a	n/a	8	541
2010	182	308	2	62	0	0	10	0	564
2011	193	306	1	77	1	0	6	0	584
2012	189	296	2	78	0	0	6	0	571
2013	197	314	1	89	0	0	6	0	607
2014	203	342	0	104	4	0	11	0	664
2015	209	334	3	123	1	0	13	0	683
2016	179	314	5	120	5	0	21	0	644
2017	187	292	4	121	3	0	21	0	628
2018	174	285	5	159	5	0	17	0	645
2019	192	280	6	198	1	0	16	0	693
2020	184	276	8	190	0	0	19	0	677
2021	153	215	4	171	0	0	11	0	554
2022	149	217	6	172	0	0	15	0	559
2023	133	232	4	180	0	0	15	0	564

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 Southside Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	590	40.0	14.7	51.5
1991	544	41.0	13.2	52.6
1992	574	41.0	14.0	50.2
1993	669	43.0	15.6	51.4
1994	682	47.3	14.4	51
1995	677	48.0	14.1	54.2
1996	677	48.0	14.1	54.2
1997	727	47.0	15.5	60.1
1998	710	45.2	15.7	60.6
1999	751	46.1	16.3	63.2
2000	740	43.0	17.2	65.5
2001	738	41.5	17.8	61.7
2002	680	39.8	17.1	64.3
2003	680	39.8	17.1	64.3
2004	651	32.0	20.3	62.1
2005	635	47.0	13.5	62
2006	631	43.0	14.7	65.6
2007	609	44.0	13.8	66.3
2008	568	44.4	12.8	64.5
2009	541	43.0	12.6	70.4
2010	564	43.0	13.1	71.3
2011	584	41.6	14.0	76.2
2012	571	41.7	13.6	76.9
2013	607	43.1	14.0	78.9
2014	664	42.7	15.5	85.5
2015	683	44.0	15.5	88.7
2016	644	45.0	14.3	88.8
2017	628	42.3	14.8	90.1
2018	645	46.1	13.9	90.1
2019	693	45.4	15.2	90
2020	677	45.5	14.8	100
2021	554	44.7	12.3	100
2022	559	42.2	13.2	n/a
2023	564	42.7	13.2	100

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 Southside Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	590	40.0	14.7	51.5
1991	544	41.0	13.2	52.6
1992	574	41.0	14.0	50.2
1993	669	43.0	15.6	51.4
1994	682	47.3	14.4	51
1995	677	48.0	14.1	54.2
1996	677	48.0	14.1	54.2
1997	727	47.0	15.5	60.1
1998	710	45.2	15.7	60.6
1999	751	46.1	16.3	63.2
2000	740	43.0	17.2	65.5
2001	738	41.5	17.8	61.7
2002	680	39.8	17.1	64.3
2003	680	39.8	17.1	64.3
2004	651	32.0	20.3	62.1
2005	635	47.0	13.5	62
2006	631	43.0	14.7	65.6
2007	609	44.0	13.8	66.3
2008	568	44.4	12.8	64.5
2009	541	43.0	12.6	70.4
2010	564	43.0	13.1	71.3
2011	584	41.6	14.0	76.2
2012	571	41.7	13.6	76.9
2013	607	43.1	14.0	78.9
2014	664	42.7	15.5	85.5
2015	683	44.0	15.5	88.7
2016	644	45.0	14.3	88.8
2017	628	42.3	14.8	90.1
2018	645	46.1	13.9	90.1
2019	693	45.4	15.2	90
2020	677	45.5	14.8	100
2021	554	44.7	12.3	100
2022	559	42.2	13.2	n/a
2023	564	42.7	13.2	100

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 Southside Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$1,111 (12.8%)	$7,581 (87.2%)	$8,692
2018	$1,088 (12.3%)	$7,766 (87.7%)	$8,854
2019	$1,134 (12.9%)	$7,676 (87.1%)	$8,810

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southside Elementary School

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 939^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 764^th of 1242 Elementary schools	14.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Southside Elementary School)	23.4	21.7	1.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Grady County)	36	25.9	10.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Southside Elementary School)	32.4	47	14.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Grady County)	56.6	43.1	13.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Southside Elementary School)	35.3	20.5	14.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Grady County)	28.6	21	7.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Southside Elementary School)	29.4	37	7.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Grady County)	27.8	38.8	11%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Southside Elementary School)	31	35.1	4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Grady County)	26.1	34.3	8.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Southside Elementary School)	6	24.3	18.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Grady County)	18.5	31.1	12.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Southside Elementary School)	34.5	25.7	8.8%
5th Grade Science (Grady County)	27.5	38.1	10.6%
5th Grade Science (Georgia)	43	40	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	693	564	18.6%
African American	280	232	17.1%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	6	4	33.3%
Hispanic	198	180	9.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	192	133	30.7%
Two or More Races	16	15	6.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	90%	100%	10%

Schools Near Southside Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)						Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)						Milestones Assessment Science (2024)		Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	322 4th Avenue SE	Cairo	39828	Grady County	Grady County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 377-3723	564	43	13.2	100.0%	133 (23.6%)	232 (41.1%)	180 (31.9%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.7%)	33.6	793^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	36.5%		35.3	764^th of 1242 public elementary schools	38.5%	29	13.7	29.2	36.0				34.2	55.6	22.7				29.3			$8,810	$1,134	$7,676
Northside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	985 1st St NW	Cairo	39828	Grady County	Grady County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 377-2422	344	32	10.9	100.0%	21 (6.1%)	87 (25.3%)	227 (66.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	37.7	728^th of 1248 public elementary schools	41.7%		38.8	708^th of 1242 public elementary schools	43.0%	20	28.1	29.2	38.1				51.6	47.7	23.8				15.9			$9,687	$1,359	$8,328
Eastside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 20th St NE	Cairo	39828	Grady County	Grady County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 377-8441	620	44	13.9	100.0%	161 (26.0%)	258 (41.6%)	170 (27.4%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.0%)	31.5	820^th of 1248 public elementary schools	34.3%		25.9	898^th of 1242 public elementary schools	27.7%	78	27.7	20.0	22.7				38.6	58.8	27.8				18.6			$9,080	$1,172	$7,908
Whigham Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	211 W Broad Ave	Whigham	39897	Grady County	Grady County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 307-1714	439	36	12.3	100.0%	350 (79.7%)	41 (9.3%)	29 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.6%)	62.3	430^th of 1248 public elementary schools	65.5%		67.2	370^th of 1242 public elementary schools	70.2%	60	44.7	29.8	44.4	44.9	51.1	45.5	66.0	59.6	30.6	57.1	72.3	50.0	33.3	36.4	50.0	$9,457	$610	$8,847
Shiver Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1847 Ga Highway 93 N	Pelham	31779	Mitchell County	Grady County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 377-2325	478	40	11.8	100.0%	335 (70.1%)	45 (9.4%)	79 (16.5%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.1%)	56.9	480^th of 1248 public elementary schools	61.5%		57	488^th of 1242 public elementary schools	60.7%	8	50.0	34.0	34.6	31.4	30.6	57.8	54.2	60.0	42.3	41.2	54.2	75.0	40.4	62.2	37.8	$9,800	$348	$9,453
Harper Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	520 Fletcher St	Thomasville	31792	Thomas County	Thomasville City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 225-2622	322	23	14.0	91.6%	3 (0.9%)	309 (96.0%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	6	1241^st of 1248 public elementary schools	0.6%		6.7	1224^th of 1242 public elementary schools	1.4%	17	9.8	4.3	15.7				11.8	2.2	9.8				7.8			$14,291	$1,809	$12,482
Scott Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 N Hansell St	Thomasville	31792	Thomas County	Thomasville City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 225-2631	338	26	13.2	91.4%	14 (4.1%)	300 (88.8%)	11 (3.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.3%)	17	1062^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	14.9%		24.3	931^st of 1242 public elementary schools	25.0%	131	17.5	9.1	28.0				21.1	14.5	22.0				32.0			$12,024	$1,475	$10,549
Hand In Hand Primary	Public	PK-K	4687 US Highway 84 Byp W	Thomasville	31792	Thomas County	Thomas County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 225-3908	709	49	14.5	92.8%	381 (53.7%)	263 (37.1%)	47 (6.6%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.7%)								(n/a)																$14,635	$830	$13,805
Jerger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1006 S Broad St	Thomasville	31792	Thomas County	Thomasville City	No	No	No	No	(229) 225-2625	785	50	15.7	25.2%	504 (64.2%)	214 (27.3%)	15 (1.9%)	25 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	24 (3.1%)	89	148^th of 1248 public elementary schools	88.1%		88.7	145^th of 1242 public elementary schools	88.3%	3	63.9	63.2	74.2				73.2	74.5	47.4				64.9			$8,709	$613	$8,096
Cross Creek Elementary School	Public	3-4	324 Clark Rd	Thomasville	31757	Thomas County	Thomas County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 225-3900	766	60	12.7	92.8%	380 (49.6%)	288 (37.6%)	58 (7.6%)	4 (0.5%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (4.2%)	59.1	461^st of 1248 public elementary schools	63.1%		46.5	603^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	51.4%	142	41.8	35.9					43.2	57.5								$9,672	$845	$8,827

Frequently Asked Questions about Southside Elementary School

What district is Southside Elementary School in?

Grady County

How many students attend Southside Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 564 students attended Southside Elementary School.

Is Southside Elementary School a good school?

Southside Elementary School ranks 793^rd of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Southside Elementary School?

Students at Southside Elementary School are 41% African American, 32% Hispanic, 24% White, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Southside Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Southside Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Washington Middle School
High : Cairo High School

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