Southside Middle School

Summary:

Southside Middle School is a public middle school in Muncie, Indiana, serving 443 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Muncie Community Schools district, which is ranked 293 out of 381 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Southside Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Indiana middle schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Southside Middle School faces significant challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism rates (ranging from 48.8% to 61.8% over the past 3 years) and low academic performance, with only 9.64% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 4.53% proficient or better in Math, compared to district averages of 21.28% and 21.93%, respectively. The school also has a high percentage of students (over 80%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Northside Middle School, which is in the same district, Southside Middle School is an outlier in terms of academic performance and student engagement. Northside Middle School has significantly higher ILEARN proficiency rates (26.05% in ELA and 21.29% in Math) and a lower chronic absenteeism rate (43.5%). Additionally, Southside Middle School's ranking and performance on the ILEARN assessments have steadily declined over the past 10 years, suggesting the school is struggling to address the needs of its students and is falling further behind its peers.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1601 East 26th St
Muncie, IN 47302

(765) 747-5320

District: Muncie Community Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
465^th of 485 Indiana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,419

Feeder schools for Southside Middle School:

Elementary:	Grissom Elementary School
	South View Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.5

Number of students: 443

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.1%

African American:

18.1%

Two or more races:

14.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 84.9%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Southside Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Southside Middle School ranks worse than 95.9% of middle schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.91. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Student population at Southside Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (62.1%), African American (18.1%), two or more races (14%). (See more...)

Compare Details 84.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southside Middle School is 10.5. (See more...)

Compare Southside Middle School employs 42.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southside Middle School is $13,419.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Southside Middle School 465^th of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See Southside Middle School in the ranking list.)

Muncie Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Muncie Community Schools 291^st of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Southside Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2004	13.80	201^st	222	9.5%
2005	9.69	351^st	370	5.1%
2006	11.17	356^th	375	5.1%
2007	10.87	359^th	382	6.0%
2008	9.20	369^th	392	5.9%
2009	11.02	391^st	423	7.6%
2010	12.61	398^th	428	7.0%
2011	15.03	416^th	451	7.8%
2012	8.14	422^nd	447	5.6%
2013	10.91	415^th	444	6.5%
2014	12.22	430^th	470	8.5%
2015	13.07	432^nd	485	10.9%
2016	26.20	402^nd	494	18.6%
2017	14.23	409^th	472	13.3%
2018	14.42	419^th	473	11.4%
2019	11.42	424^th	470	9.8%
2021	10.68	436^th	483	9.7%
2022	8.88	456^th	490	6.9%
2023	6.89	474^th	489	3.1%
2024	7.91	465^th	485	4.1%

See the entire list of Indiana Middle School Rankings!

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

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Southside Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	464	66	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	530
1989	606	98	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	708
1990	549	94	2	2	5	n/a	n/a	0	652
1991	572	126	3	1	4	n/a	n/a	0	706
1992	544	141	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	685
1993	500	111	0	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	614
1994	478	87	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	566
1995	726	194	0	7	7	n/a	n/a	0	934
1996	726	194	0	7	7	n/a	n/a	0	934
1997	692	179	0	11	2	n/a	n/a	6	890
1998	733	184	2	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	929
1999	754	155	4	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	922
2000	778	170	7	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	966
2001	788	173	1	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	975
2002	837	173	1	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	1021
2003	837	173	1	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	1021
2004	883	154	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1041
2005	792	151	3	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	957
2006	744	167	2	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	919
2007	643	135	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	57	843
2008	629	145	1	9	2	n/a	n/a	65	851
2009	610	125	4	9	3	n/a	n/a	67	818
2010	572	117	6	11	2	n/a	n/a	62	770
2011	558	130	4	8	0	0	74	0	774
2012	559	146	2	14	1	0	76	0	798
2013	560	139	1	20	2	0	65	0	787
2014	533	131	0	18	3	0	70	0	755
2015	449	115	0	12	4	0	65	0	645
2016	418	95	0	12	4	0	54	0	583
2017	377	108	0	26	4	0	61	0	576
2018	346	114	0	23	1	2	63	0	549
2019	369	115	0	23	2	1	74	0	584
2020	344	124	0	28	1	0	96	0	593
2021	329	100	0	26	0	0	92	0	547
2022	316	81	0	19	0	1	81	0	498
2023	275	80	0	24	0	2	62	0	443

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 Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	530	39.9	13.2	54.2
1989	708	52.5	13.4	34
1990	652	51.4	12.6	41.9
1991	706	46.5	15.1	43.8
1992	685	45.1	15.1	51.5
1993	614	44.6	13.8	52
1994	566	44.5	12.7	54.8
1995	934	50.6	18.5	54.9
1996	934	50.6	18.5	54.9
1997	890	59.3	15.0	56.7
1998	929	57.5	16.2	57.5
1999	922	59.7	15.4	69.7
2000	966	59.0	16.4	65.3
2001	975	59.5	16.4	65.8
2002	1021	70.9	14.4	69
2003	1021	70.9	14.4	69
2004	1041	68.7	15.2	69.3
2005	957	68.8	13.9	71.3
2006	919	64.8	14.2	69.1
2007	843	n/a	n/a	70
2008	851	57.3	14.9	73.9
2009	818	55.3	14.8	77.9
2010	770	54.2	14.1	83.1
2011	774	53.2	14.5	80.9
2012	798	52.0	15.3	84.7
2013	787	56.0	14.0	85
2014	755	53.0	14.2	84.9
2015	645	50.0	12.9	84.8
2016	583	46.0	12.6	88.9
2017	576	47.1	12.2	87
2018	549	45.0	12.1	86.7
2019	584	43.1	13.5	86.1
2020	593	42.6	13.9	79.1
2021	547	45.4	12.0	83.2
2022	498	42.8	11.6	79.5
2023	443	42.1	10.5	84.9

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 Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	530	39.9	13.2	54.2
1989	708	52.5	13.4	34
1990	652	51.4	12.6	41.9
1991	706	46.5	15.1	43.8
1992	685	45.1	15.1	51.5
1993	614	44.6	13.8	52
1994	566	44.5	12.7	54.8
1995	934	50.6	18.5	54.9
1996	934	50.6	18.5	54.9
1997	890	59.3	15.0	56.7
1998	929	57.5	16.2	57.5
1999	922	59.7	15.4	69.7
2000	966	59.0	16.4	65.3
2001	975	59.5	16.4	65.8
2002	1021	70.9	14.4	69
2003	1021	70.9	14.4	69
2004	1041	68.7	15.2	69.3
2005	957	68.8	13.9	71.3
2006	919	64.8	14.2	69.1
2007	843	n/a	n/a	70
2008	851	57.3	14.9	73.9
2009	818	55.3	14.8	77.9
2010	770	54.2	14.1	83.1
2011	774	53.2	14.5	80.9
2012	798	52.0	15.3	84.7
2013	787	56.0	14.0	85
2014	755	53.0	14.2	84.9
2015	645	50.0	12.9	84.8
2016	583	46.0	12.6	88.9
2017	576	47.1	12.2	87
2018	549	45.0	12.1	86.7
2019	584	43.1	13.5	86.1
2020	593	42.6	13.9	79.1
2021	547	45.4	12.0	83.2
2022	498	42.8	11.6	79.5
2023	443	42.1	10.5	84.9

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 Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,108 (10.5%)	$9,472 (89.5%)	$10,580
2020	$1,824 (15.5%)	$9,939 (84.5%)	$11,763
2021	$2,183 (17.4%)	$10,371 (82.6%)	$12,554
2022	$2,045 (15.2%)	$11,374 (84.8%)	$13,419

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southside Middle 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 424^th of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 474^th of 489 Middle schools	6.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Southside Middle School)	19	5.4	13.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Muncie Community Schools)	27.5	19.1	8.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (Southside Middle School)	20.7	4	16.7%
6th Grade Math (Muncie Community Schools)	25.5	15	10.5%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (Southside Middle School)	25.3	10.7	14.6%
6th Grade Science (Muncie Community Schools)	29.9	18.6	11.3%
6th Grade Science (Indiana)	48.6	38.2	10.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Southside Middle School)	20.7	4.2	16.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Muncie Community Schools)	27.1	13.9	13.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Southside Middle School)	21.8	5.7	16.1%
7th Grade Math (Muncie Community Schools)	23	12.2	10.8%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Southside Middle School)	22.1	6.4	15.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Muncie Community Schools)	25.5	17	8.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (Southside Middle School)	14.5	2.7	11.8%
8th Grade Math (Muncie Community Schools)	14.6	9.4	5.2%
8th Grade Math (Indiana)	38	31.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	584	443	24.1%
African American	115	80	30.4%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	23	24	4.3%
Pacific Islander	1	2	100%
White	369	275	25.5%
Two or More Races	74	62	16.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	86.1%	84.9%	1.3%

Schools Near Southside Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)				ILEARN Math (2024)				ILEARN Biology (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southside Middle School	Public	6-8	1601 East 26th St	Muncie	47302	Delaware County	Muncie Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 747-5320	443	42	10.5	84.9%	275 (62.1%)	80 (18.1%)	24 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	62 (14.0%)	7.9	465^th of 485 public middle schools	4.1%		6.9	474^th of 489 public middle schools	3.1%	9	4.8	12.1	11.9	9.6	1.6	7.7	4.0	4.5	41.9	$13,419	$2,045	$11,374
Northside Middle School	Public	6-8	2400 W Bethel Ave	Muncie	47304	Delaware County	Muncie Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 747-5290	583	44	13.1	70.5%	291 (49.9%)	141 (24.2%)	44 (7.5%)	14 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	93 (16.0%)	30.9	341^st of 485 public middle schools	29.7%		28.8	348^th of 489 public middle schools	28.8%	7	23.9	33.7	21.4	26.1	30.7	22.5	9.6	21.3	61.1	$11,161	$1,559	$9,602
Selma Middle School	Public	6-8	10501 E Cr 167 S	Selma	47383	Delaware County	Liberty-Perry Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 288-7242	263	19	14.2	53.6%	244 (92.8%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.6%)	87.2	48^th of 485 public middle schools	90.1%		88.1	45^th of 489 public middle schools	90.8%	3	56.7	60.9	44.0	53.7	62.2	64.4	47.3	57.8		$9,862	$703	$9,159
Yorktown Middle School	Public	6-8	8820 W Smith St	Yorktown	47396	Delaware County	Yorktown Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(765) 759-2660	656	37	17.7	36.6%	551 (84.0%)	24 (3.7%)	17 (2.6%)	24 (3.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	36 (5.5%)	77.8	92^nd of 485 public middle schools	81.0%		71	128^th of 489 public middle schools	73.8%	36	50.0	45.6	52.4	49.5	50.4	47.2	35.8	44.2	100.0	$9,362	$777	$8,585
Delta Middle School	Public	6-8	9800 N Cr 200 E	Muncie	47303	Delaware County	Delaware Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 747-0869	633	35	18.0	50.6%	569 (89.9%)	9 (1.4%)	20 (3.2%)	4 (0.6%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.9%)	67.8	149^th of 485 public middle schools	69.3%		62.4	169^th of 489 public middle schools	65.4%	20	48.8	40.3	40.0	43.0	45.8	37.2	37.2	40.0		$8,854	$943	$7,910
Shenandoah Middle School	Public	6-8	5156 N Raider Rd	Middletown	47356	Henry County	Shenandoah School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 354-6638	298	21	13.9	44.0%	284 (95.3%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.7%)	70.5	129^th of 485 public middle schools	73.4%		70.3	131^st of 489 public middle schools	73.2%	2	43.1	35.5	47.5	42.2	58.8	33.3	43.6	45.6		$8,400	$519	$7,881
Highland Middle School	Public	7-8	2108 E 200 N	Anderson	46012	Madison County	Anderson Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 641-2059	914	66	13.8	80.7%	425 (46.5%)	213 (23.3%)	169 (18.5%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (11.3%)	19	392^nd of 485 public middle schools	19.2%		19.1	396^th of 489 public middle schools	19.0%	4		16.2	22.2	19.2		13.2	14.9	14.0	66.2	$13,349	$2,520	$10,829
Anderson Intermediate School	Public	5-6	2300 Lindberg Rd	Anderson	46012	Madison County	Anderson Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 641-2047	943	60	15.7	82.7%	457 (48.5%)	212 (22.5%)	167 (17.7%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	104 (11.0%)								(n/a)	16.4			16.2	12.2			12.1		$5,277	$1,241	$4,036
New Castle Middle School	Public	7-8	601 Parkview Dr	New Castle	47362	Henry County	New Castle Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 521-7230	666	61	10.8	61.3%	575 (86.3%)	15 (2.3%)	36 (5.4%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.4%)	32.2	335^th of 485 public middle schools	30.9%		34	329^th of 489 public middle schools	32.7%	6	27.4	24.6	25.1	25.7	25.7	25.1	19.9	23.4		$12,652	$1,761	$10,891

Frequently Asked Questions about Southside Middle School

Is Southside Middle School a good school?

Southside Middle School ranks in the bottom 4.1% of Indiana middle schools.

What district is Southside Middle School in?

Muncie Community Schools

How many students attend Southside Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 443 students attended Southside Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Southside Middle School?

Students at Southside Middle School are 62% White, 18% African American, 14% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

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