South Lakes High

Summary:

South Lakes High is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Reston, Virginia, which is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools district. The school has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup that has become increasingly Hispanic and multi-racial in recent years.

Academically, South Lakes High has shown mixed performance compared to the Fairfax County and Virginia averages. While the school outperforms in some subjects like Geometry and Algebra, it underperforms in others like Chemistry, Biology, and English Reading. The school's performance also varies among different student subgroups, with stronger rankings for Asian, multi-racial, and male students, but lower rankings for Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite these inconsistencies, South Lakes High has a relatively high spending per student and a low student-teacher ratio compared to the state average.

When compared to nearby high schools in the Fairfax County district, such as Marshall High, Woodson High, and Oakton High, South Lakes High generally performs on par or slightly below these higher-performing schools. This suggests that the school could benefit from learning from the practices and strategies of these nearby high-performing schools within the same district.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 11400 South Lakes Dr
       Reston, VA  20191-4199


(703) 715-4500

District: Fairfax County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
190th of 329 Virginia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,917 Help


Feeder schools for South Lakes High:

Elementary:    Dogwood Elementary
    Forest Edge Elementary
    Fox Mill Elementary
    Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences
    More...
Middle:    Hughes Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  15.1 Help
Number of students:  2,530

Racial breakdown:

White:
41.9%
Hispanic:
26.9%
African American:
12.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  31.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details South Lakes High ranks worse than 57.8% of high schools in Virginia. It also ranks 18th among 28 ranked high schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 51.91. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at South Lakes High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
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
Help
Compare Details South Lakes High has the largest high school student body size in the Fairfax County Public Schools District.  (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Lakes High is $9,917, which is the 14th highest among 28 high schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

South Lakes High:

SchoolDigger ranks South Lakes High 190th of 329 Virginia public high schools. (See South Lakes High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Fairfax County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Fairfax County Public Schools 41st of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for South Lakes High.

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Rank History for South Lakes High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at South Lakes High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 40.57 219th 308 28.9%
2006 32.27 253rd 314 19.4%
2007 39.73 220th 313 29.7%
2008 46.83 170th 316 46.2%
2009 44.69 183rd 313 41.5%
2010 37.75 234th 317 26.2%
2011 43.91 194th 320 39.4%
2012 44.20 200th 321 37.7%
2013 54.79 119th 321 62.9%
2014 52.02 132nd 322 59.0%
2015 47.56 164th 322 49.1%
2016 50.85 146th 321 54.5%
2017 51.01 150th 324 53.7%
2018 55.09 121st 326 62.9%
2019 53.48 138th 327 57.8%
2021 36.65 213th 327 34.9%
2022 36.69 231st 325 28.9%
2023 64.56 120th 326 63.2%
2024 51.91 190th 329 42.2%
See the entire list of Virginia High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at South Lakes High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 74.14 35th 193 81.9%
2024 71.04 45th 198 77.3%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at South Lakes High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 55.71 37th 97 61.9%
2024 29.03 106th 122 13.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Lakes High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 28.01 279th 320 12.8%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at South Lakes High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 60.80 134th 320 58.1%
2024 46.39 211th 322 34.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at South Lakes High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 59.38 102nd 249 59.0%
2024 56.35 100th 253 60.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at South Lakes High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 71.47 75th 321 76.6%
2024 57.42 151st 322 53.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at South Lakes High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 76.59 13th 120 89.2%
2024 68.89 30th 118 74.6%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at South Lakes High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 53.68 110th 240 54.2%
2024 52.07 128th 249 48.6%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at South Lakes High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 55.61 108th 232 53.4%
2024 33.91 184th 233 21.0%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at South Lakes High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 74.51 30th 315 90.5%
2024 62.89 109th 314 65.3%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for White Students!

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






Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.5)
0%

50%

0%

0%

50%

  

Reviews:
by a teacher
Friday, December 10, 2021

Open Quote There is no accountability, massive attendance problems and very low academic standards where homework is not assigned because students won't do it. Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, October 11, 2009

Open Quote South Lakes HS has a phenomenal principal (Bruce Butler) at the helm who has been there for the last 4, almost 5 years. He is visible and engaged with parents and teachers and knows the kids! As a result I have seen a change in the attitude of the student body, the teachers and parents. The school boasts an incredible MYP (Middle Years Program) and IB (International Baccalaureate) program that prepared my older two children (classes of 2004 and 2006) extremely well for college -- with full ride scholarships! Each year the school sees more and more students stepping up to apply for the full IB diploma to include my last child (class of 2010)!

SLHS is one of the smaller schools in the area, but we are finishing up a renovation project that has expanded capacity by 800 kids. The additional student population will help with funding for additional programs (language, art, sports, other advanced programs). Go Seahawks! Close Quote



Enrollment information for South Lakes High

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Compare
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 2113 2113
1990 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1969 1969
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 1970 1970
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1979 1979
1993 1216 313 149 161 2 n/a n/a 0 1841
1994 1152 351 157 192 2 n/a n/a 0 1854
1995 1031 340 164 202 3 n/a n/a 0 1740
1996 1031 340 164 202 3 n/a n/a 0 1740
1997 966 356 164 187 3 n/a n/a 0 1676
1998 981 326 173 189 3 n/a n/a 0 1672
1999 941 328 180 203 5 n/a n/a 0 1657
2000 952 342 171 206 3 n/a n/a -4 1670
2001 967 321 180 226 2 n/a n/a 0 1696
2002 845 314 186 270 2 n/a n/a 38 1655
2003 845 314 186 270 2 n/a n/a 38 1655
2004 825 336 184 263 3 n/a n/a 46 1657
2005 741 350 187 256 3 n/a n/a 65 1602
2006 716 318 175 254 4 n/a n/a 79 1546
2007 662 316 177 249 4 n/a n/a 79 1487
2008 656 321 173 262 3 n/a n/a 89 1504
2009 763 324 185 299 5 n/a n/a 107 1683
2010 892 356 208 329 4 n/a n/a 127 1916
2011 1003 364 241 430 2 1 117 0 2158
2012 1096 378 266 464 4 2 130 0 2340
2013 1117 358 293 491 3 2 136 0 2400
2014 1128 315 297 507 4 1 151 0 2403
2015 1078 335 305 549 5 1 161 0 2434
2016 1092 329 287 598 7 1 166 0 2480
2017 1121 316 276 627 10 1 172 0 2523
2018 1095 318 279 649 10 3 166 0 2520
2019 1096 324 283 623 6 2 178 0 2512
2020 1129 322 278 623 6 2 189 0 2549
2021 1147 322 299 623 2 4 196 0 2593
2022 1108 317 286 644 3 3 204 0 2565
2023 1061 309 264 681 3 2 210 0 2530

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 Lakes High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 2113 115.9 18.2 n/a
1990 1969 109.9 17.9 n/a
1991 1970 120.9 16.2 n/a
1992 1979 123.1 16.0 n/a
1993 1841 13.8 133.4 n/a
1994 1854 157.0 n/a 17.5
1995 1740 n/a 0.0 17
1996 1740 n/a 0.0 17
1997 1676 n/a 0.0 14.7
1998 1672 n/a 0.0 16.1
1999 1657 121.0 13.7 25.6
2000 1670 n/a 0.0 20.6
2001 1696 130.3 13.0 19.3
2002 1655 152.5 10.9 23.9
2003 1655 152.5 10.9 23.9
2004 1657 136.4 12.1 25
2005 1602 138.4 11.6 27.4
2006 1546 133.0 11.6 26
2007 1487 126.7 11.7 28.6
2008 1504 78.1 19.3 30.2
2009 1683 86.3 19.5 30.6
2010 1916 86.2 22.2 33.4
2011 2158 111.7 19.3 28.6
2012 2340 165.3 14.1 26.2
2013 2400 173.4 13.8 25
2014 2403 171.2 14.0 25.4
2015 2434 177.0 13.7 28.4
2016 2480 190.0 13.0 26.9
2017 2523 188.9 13.3 27.5
2018 2520 190.9 13.1 29
2019 2512 186.7 13.4 27.1
2020 2549 181.0 14.0 27.7
2021 2593 188.1 13.7 n/a
2022 2565 192.3 13.3 27.5
2023 2530 166.5 15.1 31.8

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 Lakes High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 2113 115.9 18.2 n/a
1990 1969 109.9 17.9 n/a
1991 1970 120.9 16.2 n/a
1992 1979 123.1 16.0 n/a
1993 1841 13.8 133.4 n/a
1994 1854 157.0 n/a 17.5
1995 1740 n/a 0.0 17
1996 1740 n/a 0.0 17
1997 1676 n/a 0.0 14.7
1998 1672 n/a 0.0 16.1
1999 1657 121.0 13.7 25.6
2000 1670 n/a 0.0 20.6
2001 1696 130.3 13.0 19.3
2002 1655 152.5 10.9 23.9
2003 1655 152.5 10.9 23.9
2004 1657 136.4 12.1 25
2005 1602 138.4 11.6 27.4
2006 1546 133.0 11.6 26
2007 1487 126.7 11.7 28.6
2008 1504 78.1 19.3 30.2
2009 1683 86.3 19.5 30.6
2010 1916 86.2 22.2 33.4
2011 2158 111.7 19.3 28.6
2012 2340 165.3 14.1 26.2
2013 2400 173.4 13.8 25
2014 2403 171.2 14.0 25.4
2015 2434 177.0 13.7 28.4
2016 2480 190.0 13.0 26.9
2017 2523 188.9 13.3 27.5
2018 2520 190.9 13.1 29
2019 2512 186.7 13.4 27.1
2020 2549 181.0 14.0 27.7
2021 2593 188.1 13.7 n/a
2022 2565 192.3 13.3 27.5
2023 2530 166.5 15.1 31.8

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 Lakes High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $185 (1.9%) $9,761 (98.1%) $9,946
2020 $130 (1.3%) $10,016 (98.7%) $10,146
2021 $129 (1.3%) $9,788 (98.7%) $9,917

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

Impact of COVID-19 on South Lakes 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 138th of 327 High schoolsRanks 120th of 326 High schools
 5.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Writing (South Lakes High)8655
 31%
   End of Course Writing (Fairfax County Public Schools)8378
 5%
   End of Course Writing (Virginia)8174
 7%
End of Course Geometry (South Lakes High)8479
 5%
   End of Course Geometry (Fairfax County Public Schools)8690
 4%
   End of Course Geometry (Virginia)8380
 3%
End of Course Algebra I (South Lakes High)7170
 1%
   End of Course Algebra I (Fairfax County Public Schools)8986
 3%
   End of Course Algebra I (Virginia)8680
 6%
End of Course Algebra II (South Lakes High)8980
 9%
   End of Course Algebra II (Fairfax County Public Schools)9091
 1%
   End of Course Algebra II (Virginia)9186
 5%
End of Course Chemistry (South Lakes High)9138
 53%
   End of Course Chemistry (Fairfax County Public Schools)8959
 30%
   End of Course Chemistry (Virginia)8864
 24%
End of Course Biology (South Lakes High)8776
 11%
   End of Course Biology (Fairfax County Public Schools)8678
 8%
   End of Course Biology (Virginia)8370
 13%
End of Course Earth Science (South Lakes High)5946
 13%
   End of Course Earth Science (Fairfax County Public Schools)5735
 22%
   End of Course Earth Science (Virginia)8172
 9%
End of Course English Reading (South Lakes High)8884
 4%
   End of Course English Reading (Fairfax County Public Schools)8687
 1%
   End of Course English Reading (Virginia)8685
 1%
End of Course VA and US History (South Lakes High)9045
 45%
   End of Course VA and US History (Fairfax County Public Schools)7755
 22%
   End of Course VA and US History (Virginia)6838
 30%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students25122530
 0.7%
African American324309
 4.6%
American Indian63
 50%
Asian283264
 6.7%
Hispanic623681
 9.3%
Pacific Islander22
White10961061
 3.2%
Two or More Races178210
 18%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients27.1%31.8%
 4.7%


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Frequently Asked Questions about South Lakes High

Students at South Lakes High are 42% White, 27% Hispanic, 12% African American, 10% Asian, 8% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,530 students attended South Lakes High.

South Lakes High ranks 190th of 329 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.


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