South High School

Q: Is South High School a good school?

South High School ranks 4 th of 13 North Dakota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

South High School is a public high school in Fargo, North Dakota, serving 961 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Fargo 1 School District, which is ranked 10th out of 20 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby high-performing schools like Fargo Davies High School and North High School, South High School faces several challenges. Its four-year graduation rates have fluctuated between 86.1% and 91.8% over the past five years, which is generally lower. The school has also experienced an increase in its dropout rates, rising from 3% in 2019-2020 to 6% in 2022-2023, higher than the nearby schools. Additionally, South High School has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 23% to 38% over the past five years, compared to the nearby schools.

South High School's student population is more racially diverse, with higher percentages of African American (14.05%), Hispanic (7.18%), and Native American (3.75%) students compared to the nearby schools. However, the school's proficiency rates in NDSA (North Dakota State Assessments) for Mathematics, Reading, and Science are generally lower than the Fargo 1 district and the state averages, particularly in Mathematics and Science. The school also has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 22.27% to 32.47% over the past three years, compared to the nearby schools. Addressing these challenges and supporting the diverse student population could be crucial for improving the overall performance and outcomes of South High School.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1840 15th Ave S
Fargo, ND 58103

(701) 446-2000

District: Fargo 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
4^th of 13 North Dakota High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,470

Feeder schools for South High School:

Elementary:	Lincoln Elementary School
Middle:	Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.8

Number of students: 961

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.8%

African American:

14.0%

Hispanic:

7.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 32.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details South High School ranks better than 69.2% of high schools in North Dakota. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked high schools in the Fargo 1 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 66.09. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at South High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 Racial makeup is: White (65.8%), African American (14%), Hispanic (7.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 32.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South High School is 11.8, which is the 2^nd best among 3 high schools in the Fargo 1 School District. (See more...)

Compare South High School employs 81 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South High School is $16,470, which is the 2^nd highest among 3 high schools in the Fargo 1 School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

South High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks South High School 4^th of 13 North Dakota public high schools. (See South High School in the ranking list.)

Fargo 1:

SchoolDigger ranks Fargo 1 10^th of 20 North Dakota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for South High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ND State Percentile
2012	59.51	57^th	126	54.8%
2013	39.22	91^st	122	25.4%
2014	27.90	100^th	122	18.0%
2015	63.45	40^th	108	63.0%
2016	41.64	76^th	125	39.2%
2017	58.85	21^st	52	59.6%
2018	26.51	9^th	12	25.0%
2019	21.21	9^th	11	18.2%
2024	66.09	4^th	13	69.2%

See the entire list of North Dakota High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: North Dakota Department of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for South High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	1292	6	28	5	12	n/a	n/a	1343
1989	1344	2	30	6	12	n/a	n/a	1394
1990	1362	4	25	7	15	n/a	n/a	1413
1991	1389	6	26	8	17	n/a	n/a	1446
1992	1517	9	32	10	19	n/a	n/a	1587
1993	1502	6	30	7	15	n/a	n/a	1560
1994	1543	8	32	8	16	n/a	n/a	1607
1995	1253	4	29	8	12	n/a	n/a	1306
1996	1253	4	29	8	12	n/a	n/a	1306
1997	1380	17	15	5	7	n/a	n/a	1424
1998	1506	13	11	6	4	n/a	n/a	1540
1999	1514	13	13	11	7	n/a	n/a	1558
2000	1574	17	14	12	4	n/a	n/a	1621
2001	1563	21	5	5	2	n/a	n/a	1596
2002	1544	23	12	4	6	n/a	n/a	1589
2003	1544	23	12	4	6	n/a	n/a	1589
2004	1432	53	42	33	13	n/a	n/a	1573
2005	1451	55	45	18	29	n/a	n/a	1598
2006	1450	72	40	18	21	n/a	n/a	1601
2007	1900	93	41	30	44	n/a	n/a	2108
2008	1870	130	39	30	36	n/a	n/a	2105
2009	1838	119	45	31	37	n/a	n/a	2070
2010	1845	127	52	47	42	n/a	n/a	2113
2011	1819	148	75	0	40	3	46	2131
2012	868	105	67	19	26	3	4	1092
2013	886	117	65	24	25	1	2	1120
2014	820	134	89	28	33	2	2	1108
2015	784	154	81	33	25	1	6	1084
2016	737	151	80	40	27	2	9	1046
2017	685	157	92	45	22	2	8	1011
2018	696	159	91	46	28	3	11	1034
2019	642	143	78	56	32	2	11	964
2020	618	146	71	57	27	3	11	933
2021	623	130	61	52	36	6	17	925
2022	594	118	47	57	42	6	25	889
2023	632	135	54	69	36	4	31	961

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1343	80.9	16.6	n/a
1989	1394	81.9	17.0	n/a
1990	1413	84.7	16.6	n/a
1991	1446	89.5	16.1	n/a
1992	1587	95.1	16.6	7.4
1993	1560	90.0	17.3	8.6
1994	1607	89.6	17.9	7.7
1995	1306	79.4	16.4	6.8
1996	1306	79.4	16.4	6.8
1997	1424	86.7	16.4	6.5
1998	1540	96.4	16.0	6.6
1999	1558	92.5	16.8	6.5
2000	1621	96.3	16.8	9.4
2001	1596	97.5	16.4	10.2
2002	1589	101.2	15.7	10.9
2003	1589	101.2	15.7	10.9
2004	1573	100.7	15.6	9.6
2005	1598	97.5	16.4	10.6
2006	1601	97.5	16.4	12.6
2007	2108	134.4	15.7	13.8
2008	2105	141.3	14.9	16
2009	2070	139.5	14.8	15.7
2010	2113	141.5	14.9	19.6
2011	2131	141.7	15.0	20.7
2012	1092	81.5	13.3	31.5
2013	1120	78.9	14.1	34.4
2014	1108	79.5	13.9	35
2015	1084	92.0	11.7	35.6
2016	1046	83.0	12.6	35.3
2017	1011	81.0	12.4	36.9
2018	1034	82.0	12.6	34.5
2019	964	80.0	12.0	32.5
2020	933	78.0	11.9	35.6
2021	925	78.0	11.8	27.6
2022	889	79.0	11.2	22.3
2023	961	81.0	11.8	32.5

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1343	80.9	16.6	n/a
1989	1394	81.9	17.0	n/a
1990	1413	84.7	16.6	n/a
1991	1446	89.5	16.1	n/a
1992	1587	95.1	16.6	7.4
1993	1560	90.0	17.3	8.6
1994	1607	89.6	17.9	7.7
1995	1306	79.4	16.4	6.8
1996	1306	79.4	16.4	6.8
1997	1424	86.7	16.4	6.5
1998	1540	96.4	16.0	6.6
1999	1558	92.5	16.8	6.5
2000	1621	96.3	16.8	9.4
2001	1596	97.5	16.4	10.2
2002	1589	101.2	15.7	10.9
2003	1589	101.2	15.7	10.9
2004	1573	100.7	15.6	9.6
2005	1598	97.5	16.4	10.6
2006	1601	97.5	16.4	12.6
2007	2108	134.4	15.7	13.8
2008	2105	141.3	14.9	16
2009	2070	139.5	14.8	15.7
2010	2113	141.5	14.9	19.6
2011	2131	141.7	15.0	20.7
2012	1092	81.5	13.3	31.5
2013	1120	78.9	14.1	34.4
2014	1108	79.5	13.9	35
2015	1084	92.0	11.7	35.6
2016	1046	83.0	12.6	35.3
2017	1011	81.0	12.4	36.9
2018	1034	82.0	12.6	34.5
2019	964	80.0	12.0	32.5
2020	933	78.0	11.9	35.6
2021	925	78.0	11.8	27.6
2022	889	79.0	11.2	22.3
2023	961	81.0	11.8	32.5

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 School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$585 (4.3%)	$12,943 (95.7%)	$13,528
2020	$798 (5.7%)	$13,128 (94.3%)	$13,926
2021	$1,579 (10.2%)	$13,845 (89.8%)	$15,424
2022	$1,846 (11.2%)	$14,624 (88.8%)	$16,470

Data source: North Dakota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South High 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	964	961	0.3%
African American	143	135	5.6%
American Indian	32	36	12.5%
Asian	78	54	30.8%
Hispanic	56	69	23.2%
Pacific Islander	2	4	100%
White	642	632	1.6%
Two or More Races	11	31	181.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	32.5%	32.5%	0%

Schools Near South High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NDSA Mathematics (2024)		NDSA Reading (2024)		NDSA Science (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	NDSA Mathematics 11th Grade	NDSA Mathematics All Grades	NDSA Reading 11th Grade	NDSA Reading All Grades	NDSA Science 10th Grade	NDSA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South High School	Public	9-12	1840 15th Ave S	Fargo	58103	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-2000	961	81	11.8	32.5%	632 (65.8%)	135 (14.0%)	69 (7.2%)	54 (5.6%)	36 (3.7%)	4 (0.4%)	31 (3.2%)	66.1	4^th of 13 public high schools	69.2%					(n/a)					50.0	50.0	$16,470	$1,846	$14,624
Dakota High School	Public	9-12	1305 9th Ave S	Fargo	58103	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-2800	109	10	11.3	39.4%	60 (55.0%)	21 (19.3%)	11 (10.1%)	2 (1.8%)	6 (5.5%)	1 (0.9%)	8 (7.3%)								(n/a)							$19,691	$1,344	$18,347
Fargo 9-12 Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	9-12	700 7th Street South	Fargo	58102	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	No	(701) 446-1000	42			7.1%	31 (73.8%)	6 (14.3%)	1 (2.4%)	1 (2.4%)	1 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.8%)								(n/a)							$7,230	$2,733	$4,497
West Fargo High School	Public	9-12	801 9th St E	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-2050	1,423	106	13.4	31.9%	960 (67.5%)	233 (16.4%)	88 (6.2%)	42 (3.0%)	37 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (4.4%)	45.2	7^th of 13 public high schools	46.2%		55.9	6^th of 12 public high schools	50.0%	1	36.0	36.0	46.0	46.0	46.0	46.0	$13,270	$1,143	$12,127
North High School	Public	9-12	801 17th Ave N	Fargo	58102	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-2400	1,083	81	13.3	25.7%	842 (77.7%)	68 (6.3%)	60 (5.5%)	20 (1.8%)	44 (4.1%)	4 (0.4%)	45 (4.2%)	64.4	5^th of 13 public high schools	61.5%		81.9	2^nd of 12 public high schools	83.3%	3	55.0	55.0	49.0	49.0	45.0	45.0	$13,768	$1,416	$12,352
West Fargo Community High School	Public	9-12	311 1st Avenue East	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(701) 356-2008	54	8	6.7	48.1%	29 (53.7%)	12 (22.2%)	6 (11.1%)	1 (1.9%)	4 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.7%)								(n/a)
West Fargo Sheyenne High School	Public	9-12	800 40th Ave E	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-2160	1,473	100	14.7	20.4%	1,051 (71.4%)	244 (16.6%)	54 (3.7%)	36 (2.4%)	27 (1.8%)	2 (0.1%)	59 (4.0%)	30.7	11^th of 13 public high schools	15.4%		34.4	11^th of 12 public high schools	8.3%		34.0	34.0	48.0	48.0	26.0	26.0	$11,631	$883	$10,748
West Fargo High Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	9-12	207 Main Ave W	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	No	(701) 356-2000	26			11.5%	14 (53.8%)	7 (26.9%)	1 (3.8%)	1 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.8%)	2 (7.7%)								(n/a)							$5,126	$966	$4,160
Fargo Davies High School	Public	9-12	7150 25th St S	Fargo	58104	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-5600	1,363	93	14.5	19.4%	1,005 (73.7%)	232 (17.0%)	40 (2.9%)	54 (4.0%)	13 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	18 (1.3%)	66.6	3^rd of 13 public high schools	76.9%		83.8	1^st of 12 public high schools	91.7%	2	38.0	38.0	49.0	49.0	60.0	60.0	$13,489	$1,498	$11,991
Horace High School	Public	9-12	8100 Lakeview Drive	Horace	58047	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-2070	456	33	13.8	10.7%	377 (82.7%)	32 (7.0%)	18 (3.9%)	4 (0.9%)	6 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.7%)								(n/a)							$15,365	$904	$14,462

Frequently Asked Questions about South High School

What district is South High School in?

Fargo 1

How many students attend South High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 961 students attended South High School.

What is the racial makeup of South High School?

Students at South High School are 66% White, 14% African American, 7% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 4% American Indian, 3% Two or more races.

What schools feed into South High School?

South High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Lincoln Elementary School
Middle : Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Is South High School a good school?

South High School ranks 4^th of 13 North Dakota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate South 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 North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

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.