1
What's the vibe like in the hallways at South Elementary right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
614
Elementary
DISTRICT 363 · STATE 381
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PLYMOUTH·NCES 250972001547
South Elementary
178 Bourne Rd, Plymouth, MA 02360 · (508) 830-4390 · Plymouth County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL614 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 55% of Massachusetts public elementary schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- B-Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Massachusetts public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
12.2:1
51 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.7:1 · STATE 12.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 99 | 16% |
| Grade 1 | 96 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 94 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 129 | 21% |
| Grade 4 | 94 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 102 | 17% |
This year's kindergarten class (99) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (102).
Student demographics
24%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 34% · STATE 65% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
MCAS 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
47.0%
MA avg 43.8% . -1.0pp since 2016
Math
43.0%
MA avg 42.2% . -5.0pp since 2016
What this means: On the MCAS, Massachusetts's statewide test, about 47 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 43 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Massachusetts schools, those numbers are about 44 and 42. Reading and writing scores are down about 1 points since 2016, while math scores are down about 5 points.
MCAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 47.0% | 43.0% |
| 2023-24 | 45.0% | 51.0% |
| 2022-23 | 52.0% | 53.0% |
| 2021-22 | 44.0% | 44.0% |
| 2020-21 | 54.0% | 42.0% |
| 2018-19 | 47.0% | 42.0% |
| 2017-18 | 49.0% | 42.0% |
| 2016-17 | 48.0% | 48.0% |
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where South Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Massachusetts | In Plymouth County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 43.0% | #463 of 920 ▼ 100 | #44 of 63 ▼ 14 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 47.0% | #370 of 920 ▲ 4 | #33 of 63 ▼ 4 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +1.0pp | #464 of 901 | #35 of 61 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 614 | #118 of 1,086 | #16 of 73 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.2:1 | #450 of 938 | #20 of 70 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 24.2% | #835 of 938 | #40 of 70 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -6.0% | #430 of 602 | #28 of 44 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
614
+5 (+1%) vs 2020
-12% since 1990-91, when it was 699
Student : Teacher
12.2:1
was 13.0:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 614 | 50.5 | 12.2:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 628 | 50.2 | 12.5:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 619 | 47.7 | 13.0:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 609 | 47 | 13.0:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 653 | 50.1 | 13.0:1 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 615 | 42 | 14.6:1 | N/A |
| 2010-11 | 729 | 42 | 17.4:1 | 19% (138) |
| 2000-01 | 861 | N/A | N/A | 10% (88) |
| 1990-91 | 699 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for South Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 6% (653 to 614); teachers up 1% (50.1 to 50.5).
About South Elementary
This page covers South Elementary, a high-enrollment elementary school in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It teaches 614 students in kindergarten through 5. That is 61% larger than the average of about 381 students for elementary schools in Massachusetts.
The 13 schools in Plymouth enroll 6,956 students altogether, South Elementary among them.
At South Elementary, 87% of students are White. Smaller groups are 7% Hispanic and 4% multiracial. For comparison, the population of Plymouth County is roughly 77% White. The diversity index for South Elementary is 24%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
South Elementary lists 50.5 full-time-equivalent teachers; that is about 12.2 students per teacher. That is in line with the 12.2:1 average for elementary schools in Massachusetts.
South Elementary holds a B allk12 Grade, placing it above 55% of Massachusetts public elementary schools.
Census data for Plymouth County show median household income comes to about $114,201, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 42%, and about 5% of people live in poverty. There are 141 public schools in the county, enrolling about 76,427, South Elementary among them.
Plymouth South High is about 3.2 miles away, making it the nearest public school. Within five miles of South Elementary, there are 3 other public schools.
South Elementary is in rural territory close to an urban area, a location NCES labels Rural: Fringe.
South Elementary had 609 students in 2020-21 and 614 in 2024-25, nearly the same.
Parents, students, and staff can share information on special education services, counseling, and support programs here. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
Plymouth County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
535,075
Census ACS
Median income
$114,201
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
42%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
141
76,427 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Plymouth
- Plymouth North HighHigh · 1,169 students
- Plymouth South HighHigh · 1,001 students
- Plymouth Commun IntermediateMiddle · 920 students
- Plymouth South MiddleMiddle · 601 students
- Indian BrookElementary · 520 students
- Nathaniel Morton ElementaryElementary · 511 students
Other schools in Plymouth
- Plymouth North HighHigh · 1,169 students
- Plymouth South HighHigh · 1,001 students
- Plymouth Commun IntermediateMiddle · 920 students
- Rising Tide Charter Public SchoolHigh · 617 students
- Plymouth South MiddleMiddle · 601 students
- Indian BrookElementary · 520 students
Other South Elementary schools
43 other US public schools in 18 states are named South Elementary. South Elementary is the 3rd largest of the 44.
- South ElementaryHingham, MA · 496 students
- South ElementaryAndover, MA · 438 students
- South ElementaryStoughton, MA · 305 students
- South Elementary SchoolMIDLAND, TX · 651 students
- South Elementary SchoolDanville, IN · 626 students
Nearby schools
- Plymouth South High3.2 mi · 1,001
- Plymouth South Middle3.5 mi · 601
- Indian Brook4.9 mi · 520
- Bournedale Elementary School5.4 mi · 425
- Manomet Elementary6.4 mi · 263
- Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical6.4 mi · 838
Frequently asked questions
About South ElementaryHow many students attend South Elementary?
South Elementary enrolls approximately 614 students in grades KG-05.
Is South Elementary an elementary, middle, or high school?
South Elementary is an elementary school covering grades KG-05.
How many teachers does South Elementary have?
South Elementary employs 51 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.2:1.
How diverse is South Elementary?
South Elementary reports a student body of 87% White, 7% Hispanic, 1% Black, 1% Asian, 4% Two or more.
What district is South Elementary in?
South Elementary is part of Plymouth.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.