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Parents: what's one thing you'd want the Southern MS administration to hear?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
661
Middle
DISTRICT 942 · STATE 594
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·READING SD·NCES 422004000855
Southern Middle School
931 Chestnut St, Reading, PA 19602 · (610) 371-5803 · Berks County
GRADES 05–08MIDDLE13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL661 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
53 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.4:1 · STATE 13.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
106%
698 students
DISTRICT 101% · STATE 75%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | 178 | 27% |
| Grade 6 | 154 | 23% |
| Grade 7 | 166 | 25% |
| Grade 8 | 163 | 25% |
Student demographics
25%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 22% · STATE 59% · 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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Southern Middle School→Reading SHS
Based on grade levels within Reading SD. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
PSSA + Keystone 2024-25 . % Proficient or AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
15.0%
PA avg 51.1% . -1.6pp since 2023
Math
4.2%
PA avg 43.0% . +0.0pp since 2023
What this means: On the PSSA + Keystone, Pennsylvania's statewide test, about 15 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 4 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Pennsylvania schools, those numbers are about 51 and 43. Reading and writing scores are down about 2 points since 2023, while math scores have held steady.
PSSA + Keystone results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 15.0% | 4.2% |
| 2023-24 | 16.6% | 4.2% |
% Proficient or Advanced, all students and all tested grades.
Source: PSSA + Keystone. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Southern Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Pennsylvania | In Berks County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 4.2% | #498 of 513 ▼ 1 | #26 of 26 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 15.0% | #497 of 513 ▲ 5 | #26 of 26 no change |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 661 | #194 of 522 | #13 of 26 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.5:1 | #202 of 486 | #11 of 26 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 25.1% | #351 of 486 | #20 of 26 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 106% | #26 of 510 | #3 of 26 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +2.3% | #104 of 131 | #8 of 8 |
Ranked against other public middle 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
661
-94 (-12%) vs 2020
-12% since 1990-91, when it was 748
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
was 13.7:1
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 | 661 | 52.8 | 12.5:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 698 | 53 | 13.2:1 | 100% (698) |
| 2022-23 | 759 | 55.3 | 13.7:1 | 100% (759) |
| 2020-21 | 755 | 55 | 13.7:1 | 100% (752) |
| 2017-18 | 646 | 38.5 | 16.8:1 | 100% (646) |
| 2015-16 | 560 | 39 | 14.4:1 | 100% (560) |
| 2010-11 | 617 | 47 | 13.1:1 | 91% (561) |
| 2000-01 | 755 | 41 | 18.4:1 | 78% (592) |
| 1990-91 | 748 | 55 | 13.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Southern Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students up 2% (646 to 661); teachers up 37% (38.5 to 52.8).
About Southern Middle School
In Reading, Pennsylvania, Southern Middle School is a mid-sized middle school. The school has 661 students in 2024-25 across grades 5 through 8.
In Reading SD, 19 schools enroll a combined 16,423 students.
Southern Middle School is 86% Hispanic by enrollment. The next largest groups are 8% Black and 4% White. In Berks County overall, about 25% of residents are Hispanic. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 25%.
Southern Middle School reported 52.8 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25, a ratio of 12.5:1. It is about the same as the 13.2:1 average for middle schools in Pennsylvania.
In Berks County, median household income comes to about $79,777, roughly 28% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Berks County counts 95 public schools with about 62,375 students.
Amanda E Stout Elementary School is about 0.2 miles away, making it the nearest public school. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8.
In the federal locale system, Southern Middle School is coded City: Small, for schools inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.
Enrollment figures show a decrease of 94 students from 2020-21 to 2024-25. The ratio of students to teachers went from 13.7:1 to 12.5:1 over the same years.
This page is a place to ask questions and share updates about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies at Southern Middle School. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
Berks County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
433,015
Census ACS
Median income
$79,777
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
28%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
95
62,375 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Reading SD
- Reading SHSHigh · 4,879 students
- Central Middle SchoolMiddle · 1,785 students
- Northeast Middle SchoolMiddle · 868 students
- Northwest Middle SchoolMiddle · 821 students
- Amanda E Stout Elementary SchoolElementary · 758 students
- Riverside Elementary SchoolElementary · 694 students
Other schools in Reading
- Reading SHSHigh · 4,879 students
- Central Middle SchoolMiddle · 1,785 students
- Exeter Twp SHSHigh · 1,312 students
- Muhlenberg El CenterElementary · 1,241 students
- Muhlenberg High SchoolHigh · 1,166 students
- Muhlenberg Jr High SchoolMiddle · 1,016 students
Other Southern Middle schools
8 other US public schools in 4 states are named Southern Middle. Southern Middle School is the 4th largest of the 9.
- Southern Middle SchoolGlen Rock, PA · 466 students
- Southern Middle SchoolSomerset, KY · 871 students
- Southern Middle SchoolLexington, KY · 759 students
- Southern MiddleLothian, MD · 726 students
- Southern MiddleAberdeen, NC · 620 students
Nearby schools
- Amanda E Stout Elementary School0.2 mi · 758
- Tenth & Penn Elementary School0.2 mi · 345
- Tyson-Schoener Elementary School0.5 mi · 408
- Central Middle School0.5 mi · 1,785
- Southwest Middle School0.7 mi · 574
- Tenth & Green Elementary School0.7 mi · 564
Frequently asked questions
About Southern Middle SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Southern Middle School?
Southern Middle School enrolls approximately 661 students in grades 05-08.
Is Southern Middle School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Southern Middle School is a middle school covering grades 05-08.
How many students per teacher at Southern Middle School?
Approximately 12.5:1 students per teacher at Southern Middle School.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Southern Middle School?
At Southern Middle School, the student body is approximately 4% White, 86% Hispanic, 8% Black, 2% Two or more.
Who oversees Southern Middle School?
Southern Middle School is overseen by Reading SD in Berks County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.