Is William Southern Elementary a good school?

William Southern Elementary ranks 438 th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend William Southern Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 452 students attended William Southern Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of William Southern Elementary?

Students at William Southern Elementary are 39% White, 32% African American, 17% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of William Southern Elementary attend?

Students who attend William Southern Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Bridger Middle Middle : Pioneer Ridge Middle High : Truman High

William Southern Elementary

Summary:

William Southern Elementary is a public elementary school located in Independence, Missouri, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 430. The school is part of the Independence 30 School District, which is ranked 236 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

William Southern Elementary has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from a high of 284 out of 1,052 Missouri elementary schools in 2018-2019 (4-star rating) to a low of 637 out of 901 in 2020-2021 (1-star rating). The school's current ranking for the 2023-2024 school year is 438 out of 906 Missouri elementary schools, with a 3-star rating. While the school has shown strong performance for its African American, White, and Multi-racial student subgroups, its overall student performance, particularly in English Language Arts, has been lower than the district and state averages. Additionally, the school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, which are significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby schools within the same district, such as Three Trails Elementary and Blackburn Elementary, William Southern Elementary's performance is generally on par or slightly below. However, when compared to schools in the neighboring Blue Springs R-IV district, which has a much higher district ranking and 5-star rating, William Southern Elementary lags significantly in student performance, particularly in math and English Language Arts. For example, William Yates Elementary in the Blue Springs district had significantly higher proficiency rates in 3rd and 4th-grade math compared to William Southern Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4300 S Phelps Rd
Independence, MO 64055-5102

(816) 521-5475

District: Independence 30

SchoolDigger Rank:
438^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,108

Students who attend William Southern Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bridger Middle
	Pioneer Ridge Middle
High:	Truman High

Student/teacher ratio: 17.6

Number of students: 452

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.9%

African American:

31.6%

Hispanic:

16.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 75.4%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare William Southern Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details William Southern Elementary ranks better than 51.7% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 6^th among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Independence 30 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 51.5. (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 William Southern Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (38.9%), African American (31.6%), Hispanic (16.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 75.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at William Southern Elementary is 17.6. 19 elementary schools in the Independence 30 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare William Southern Elementary employs 25.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at William Southern Elementary is $13,108, which is the 7^th highest among 19 elementary schools in the Independence 30 School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

William Southern Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks William Southern Elementary 438^th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See William Southern Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Independence 30:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence 30 236^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for William Southern Elementary?

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Rank History for William Southern Elementary

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Rank History for all students at William Southern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	71.15	227^th	1074	78.9%
2007	66.17	290^th	1080	73.1%
2008	53.02	512^th	1084	52.8%
2009	50.79	559^th	1053	46.9%
2010	50.92	568^th	1066	46.7%
2011	51.53	583^rd	1088	46.4%
2012	42.34	716^th	1085	34.0%
2013	29.99	877^th	1108	20.8%
2014	51.64	545^th	1089	50.0%
2015	48.02	590^th	1058	44.2%
2016	42.48	542^nd	865	37.3%
2017	30.58	779^th	1032	24.5%
2018	44.60	585^th	1045	44.0%
2019	68.99	284^th	1052	73.0%
2021	32.30	637^th	901	29.3%
2022	35.46	597^th	908	34.3%
2023	45.18	506^th	898	43.7%
2024	51.50	438^th	906	51.7%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at William Southern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	65.34	11^th	41	73.2%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at William Southern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	56.77	344^th	887	61.2%
2019	79.76	86^th	907	90.5%
2021	57.23	189^th	574	67.1%
2022	38.83	328^th	532	38.3%
2023	55.72	223^rd	611	63.5%
2024	60.01	189^th	625	69.8%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for African American students at William Southern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	67.25	53^rd	243	78.2%
2019	71.38	44^th	250	82.4%
2021	95.22	1^st	163	99.4%
2023	66.95	36^th	185	80.5%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at William Southern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	43.99	506^th	898	43.7%
2019	78.13	150^th	917	83.6%
2023	44.55	368^th	673	45.3%
2024	56.83	277^th	668	58.5%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for William Southern Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	652	652
1992	601	13	8	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	629
1993	608	15	7	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	640
1994	580	14	9	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	611
1995	566	16	10	41	3	n/a	n/a	0	636
1996	566	16	10	41	3	n/a	n/a	0	636
1997	617	19	11	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	664
1998	567	28	13	15	7	n/a	n/a	0	630
1999	549	25	15	19	5	n/a	n/a	0	613
2000	500	23	18	19	4	n/a	n/a	0	564
2001	410	22	11	21	2	n/a	n/a	0	466
2002	411	48	9	28	3	n/a	n/a	0	499
2003	411	48	9	28	3	n/a	n/a	0	499
2004	444	50	12	33	3	n/a	n/a	0	542
2005	396	55	15	32	4	n/a	n/a	0	502
2006	369	48	19	48	6	n/a	n/a	0	490
2007	380	62	13	55	8	n/a	n/a	0	518
2008	371	70	18	57	7	n/a	n/a	0	523
2009	341	113	13	57	7	n/a	n/a	0	531
2010	315	136	12	69	5	n/a	n/a	0	537
2011	306	133	9	78	5	0	13	0	544
2012	295	143	8	62	3	1	22	0	534
2013	310	143	12	67	1	1	32	0	566
2014	295	139	9	71	1	2	33	0	550
2015	287	137	7	72	1	1	22	0	527
2016	273	134	8	70	1	1	36	0	523
2017	266	138	6	65	2	4	44	0	525
2018	244	126	3	57	1	10	54	0	495
2019	235	123	8	52	0	10	54	0	482
2020	210	130	5	60	0	9	49	0	463
2021	172	122	3	61	0	9	54	0	421
2022	167	121	3	66	0	7	41	0	405
2023	179	130	5	67	2	8	39	0	430
2024	176	143	6	76	1	4	46	0	452

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 William Southern Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	652	31.9	20.4	n/a
1992	629	32.2	19.5	10
1993	640	32.4	19.8	14.8
1994	611	35.4	17.3	16.5
1995	636	35.9	17.7	19.5
1996	636	35.9	17.7	19.5
1997	664	37.1	17.9	19.4
1998	630	34.8	18.1	20.6
1999	613	39.2	15.6	0
2000	564	36.3	15.5	27.8
2001	466	29.4	15.9	24
2002	499	29.3	17.0	27.1
2003	499	29.3	17.0	27.1
2004	542	29.6	18.3	31.9
2005	502	29.1	17.3	39
2006	490	31.7	15.5	37.6
2007	518	30.6	16.9	39.4
2008	523	34.3	15.2	41.1
2009	531	39.0	13.6	47.3
2010	537	32.3	16.6	54.2
2011	544	30.2	18.0	57
2012	534	33.2	16.0	61.8
2013	566	32.6	17.3	61.5
2014	550	31.7	17.3	55.6
2015	527	31.0	17.0	60.5
2016	523	35.0	14.9	62.7
2017	525	31.3	16.7	62.7
2018	495	30.2	16.3	67.7
2019	482	30.2	15.9	66.6
2020	463	30.2	15.2	67.4
2021	421	26.0	16.1	66.5
2022	405	26.1	15.4	62.7
2023	430	22.8	18.8	72.8
2024	452	25.6	17.6	75.4

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 William Southern Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	652	31.9	20.4	n/a
1992	629	32.2	19.5	10
1993	640	32.4	19.8	14.8
1994	611	35.4	17.3	16.5
1995	636	35.9	17.7	19.5
1996	636	35.9	17.7	19.5
1997	664	37.1	17.9	19.4
1998	630	34.8	18.1	20.6
1999	613	39.2	15.6	0
2000	564	36.3	15.5	27.8
2001	466	29.4	15.9	24
2002	499	29.3	17.0	27.1
2003	499	29.3	17.0	27.1
2004	542	29.6	18.3	31.9
2005	502	29.1	17.3	39
2006	490	31.7	15.5	37.6
2007	518	30.6	16.9	39.4
2008	523	34.3	15.2	41.1
2009	531	39.0	13.6	47.3
2010	537	32.3	16.6	54.2
2011	544	30.2	18.0	57
2012	534	33.2	16.0	61.8
2013	566	32.6	17.3	61.5
2014	550	31.7	17.3	55.6
2015	527	31.0	17.0	60.5
2016	523	35.0	14.9	62.7
2017	525	31.3	16.7	62.7
2018	495	30.2	16.3	67.7
2019	482	30.2	15.9	66.6
2020	463	30.2	15.2	67.4
2021	421	26.0	16.1	66.5
2022	405	26.1	15.4	62.7
2023	430	22.8	18.8	72.8
2024	452	25.6	17.6	75.4

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 William Southern Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,432 (13.5%)	$9,143 (86.5%)	$10,576
2020	$1,754 (15.8%)	$9,335 (84.2%)	$11,089
2021	$2,293 (20.4%)	$8,946 (79.6%)	$11,239
2022	$3,715 (28.3%)	$9,393 (71.7%)	$13,108

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on William Southern 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 284^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 506^th of 898 Elementary schools	29.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (William Southern Elementary)	50.7	36	14.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)	38.5	28.3	10.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (William Southern Elementary)	54.4	44	10.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Independence 30)	44	36.4	7.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (William Southern Elementary)	58.8	15.3	43.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)	43.3	30.1	13.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (William Southern Elementary)	55.3	38	17.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Independence 30)	47.1	38.1	9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (William Southern Elementary)	46.8	45.3	1.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)	37.2	35.6	1.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (William Southern Elementary)	52.1	44.6	7.5%
5th Grade Science (Independence 30)	42.4	38.6	3.8%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.6	1.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (William Southern Elementary)	60.6	45.2	15.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Independence 30)	46.6	39.5	7.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.1	44.1	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	482	430	10.8%
African American	123	130	5.7%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	8	5	37.5%
Hispanic	52	67	28.8%
Pacific Islander	10	8	20%
White	235	179	23.8%
Two or More Races	54	39	27.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	66.6%	72.8%	6.2%

Schools Near William Southern Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)			MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (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	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
William Southern Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4300 S Phelps Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5475	452	26	17.6	75.4%	176 (38.9%)	143 (31.6%)	76 (16.8%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	46 (10.2%)	51.5	438^th of 906 public elementary schools	51.7%		45.2	506^th of 898 public elementary schools	43.7%	68	44.0	35.0	38.7	55.1	30.8	45.0	40.2	$13,108	$3,715	$9,393
Sycamore Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15208 E 39th St S	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5465	537	31	17.2	58.1%	283 (52.7%)	44 (8.2%)	146 (27.2%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	9 (1.7%)	49 (9.1%)	52.1	431^st of 906 public elementary schools	52.4%		60.2	354^th of 898 public elementary schools	60.6%	77	42.0	30.6	42.4	48.7	39.3	32.5	51.6	$11,058	$2,128	$8,929
John W. Luff Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3700 S Delaware Ave	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5415	343	24	14.2	69.4%	156 (45.5%)	48 (14.0%)	92 (26.8%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	8 (2.3%)	35 (10.2%)	61.4	332^nd of 906 public elementary schools	63.4%		60.7	346^th of 898 public elementary schools	61.5%	14	54.5	33.8		52.0	43.6	49.9	45.8	$12,684	$2,115	$10,569
William Yates Elementary	Public	K-5	3600 Davidson Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 874-3740	447	34	13.3	46.3%	218 (48.8%)	78 (17.4%)	77 (17.2%)	9 (2.0%)	3 (0.7%)	9 (2.0%)	53 (11.9%)	94.5	28^th of 906 public elementary schools	96.9%		94.5	27^th of 898 public elementary schools	97.0%	1	73.8	89.5		71.2	54.9	89.1		$12,829	$929	$11,901
Fleetridge Elementary	Public	K-5	13001 E 55th St	Kansas City	64133	Jackson County	Raytown C-2	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 268-7220	346	23	14.7	63.0%	97 (28.0%)	140 (40.5%)	68 (19.7%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	34 (9.8%)	26	689^th of 906 public elementary schools	24.0%		27.9	685^th of 898 public elementary schools	23.7%	4	22.3	21.0	23.6	41.1	30.2		23.5	$15,003	$2,179	$12,823
Hanthorn Early Education	Public	PK	1511 Kings Hwy	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	No	(816) 521-5485	8	11	.7		4 (50.0%)	2 (25.0%)	2 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Glendale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2611 S Lee's Summit Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5510	391	29	13.5	73.1%	210 (53.7%)	66 (16.9%)	74 (18.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.0%)	35 (9.0%)	54.6	401^st of 906 public elementary schools	55.7%		57.3	382^nd of 898 public elementary schools	57.5%	19	48.7	43.4	43.9	33.7	39.6		40.5	$11,625	$2,525	$9,100
Little Blue Elementary	Public	K-5	13900 E 61st Street	Kansas City	64133	Jackson County	Raytown C-2	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 268-7740	374	27	14.1	63.1%	121 (32.4%)	123 (32.9%)	80 (21.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	45 (12.0%)	27.7	678^th of 906 public elementary schools	25.2%		36.8	593^rd of 898 public elementary schools	34.0%	85	36.3	24.5	17.8	22.7	33.2	38.4	24.1	$13,930	$2,384	$11,547
Voy Spears Junior Elementary	Public	K-5	201 NE Anderson	Lees Summit	64064	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	No	(816) 874-3720	556	38	14.7	13.1%	402 (72.3%)	53 (9.5%)	40 (7.2%)	19 (3.4%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.5%)	37 (6.7%)	97.2	9^th of 906 public elementary schools	99.0%		96.8	15^th of 898 public elementary schools	98.3%	6	86.2	72.1	77.7	75.5	74.6	79.1	82.1	$10,732	$928	$9,804
Three Trails Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11801 E 32nd St S	Independence	64052	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5470	347	23	15.0	81.6%	139 (40.1%)	49 (14.1%)	126 (36.3%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	28 (8.1%)	39	569^th of 906 public elementary schools	37.2%		45.2	507^th of 898 public elementary schools	43.5%	62	46.2	17.1	32.8	30.3	44.2	18.7	35.6	$12,034	$2,466	$9,568

William Southern Elementary

William Southern Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Independence 30:

What do you think?

Rank History for William Southern Elementary

Rank History for all students at William Southern Elementary

Rank History for Multi-racial students at William Southern Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at William Southern Elementary

Rank History for African American students at William Southern Elementary

Rank History for White students at William Southern Elementary

Enrollment information for William Southern Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at William Southern Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio William Southern Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for William Southern Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on William Southern Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near William Southern Elementary