Southside Elementary

Southside Elementary operates as a mid-tier elementary-level community in Shelbyville, Kentucky, operated by Shelby County. Current enrollment sits at 412 students spanning grades K through 5.

Within Shelby County, which oversees 14 schools and 6,985 students, Southside Elementary is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Southside Elementary reports that 47% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest breaks down as 36% Hispanic, 10% multiracial, 7% Black. By comparison, Shelby County as a whole is about 80% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Southside Elementary has 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.1:1. The state averages about 15.4:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 64% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is noticeably above Shelby County's rate of about 45%.

After controlling for student poverty, Southside Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 41.4%; this one delivers 35.4%.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Shelby County indicate median household earnings sit near $82,604, 33% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Shelby County runs 16 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,985 students), of which Southside Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Clear Creek Elementary, roughly 0.4 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, Southside Elementary comes 1st of 6 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 28.0%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Southside Elementary has fell 10%, going from 458 students in 2018 to 412 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 56% to 47% across the same window. Class-load math has grew: from 13.7:1 in 2018 to 16.1:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the Southside Elementary community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.