SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH

As a high-enrollment intermediate school in SAINT CLOUD, Minnesota, SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH teaches 831 students from grades 6 through 8, overseen by ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. Compared to the state average of about 495 students per school, that is 68% above typical.

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT runs 22 schools in total, collectively educating 9,803 students. SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH is one of those campuses.

On the student-mix side, SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH lists that 42% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school records 39% Black, 9% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 3% Asian. By comparison, Stearns County as a whole is about 82% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, The school employs 52 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 15.9:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 17.5:1 average. An estimated 64% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Stearns County runs at roughly 44%, so the school's eligibility rate is higher than the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 30.6% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 28.1%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Stearns County) records that median household earnings sit near $77,066, 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. Across Stearns County's 74 public schools (combined enrollment of about 24,160 students), SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH is one campus in the mix.

Newport Academy is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.8 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH at 3rd of 6; the average score across the group is 22.8%.

SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH operates from an urban location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH has shrank 16%, going from 994 students in 2018 to 831 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 45% to 39% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 18.0:1 in 2018 to 15.9:1 today.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.