Southside School District (Independence)

70 Scott Dr
Batesville, AR 72501
(District boundaries shown in map)
6/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Southside School District (Independence) ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Arkansas for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 2 public elementary schools serving 1,323 students in Southside School District (Independence). This district's average elementary testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public elementary schools in Arkansas.
Public Elementary Schools in Southside School District (Independence) have an average math proficiency score of 54% (versus the Arkansas public elementary school average of 43%), and reading proficiency score of 33% (versus the 39% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 7% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Arkansas public elementary school average of 43% (majority Black).

Overview

This School District
This State (AR)
# Schools
4 Schools
710 Schools
# Students
2,204 Students
300,005 Students
# Teachers
173 Teachers
19,966 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1

District Rank

Southside School District (Independence), which is ranked within the top 50% of all 258 school districts in Arkansas (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 90-94% has decreased from 95% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (AR)
#110 out of 259 school districts
(Top 50%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Southside School District (Independence), with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
45%
38%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Southside School District (Independence) and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
35%
40%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Southside School District (Independence) and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
39%
36%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Southside School District (Independence) and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
90-94%
88%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Southside School District (Independence) and public school graduation rate of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.16
0.61
# American Indian Students
9 Students
1,684 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
5 Students
5,542 Students
% Asian Students
n/a
2%
# Hispanic Students
122 Students
43,810 Students
% Hispanic Students
6%
15%
# Black Students
35 Students
58,360 Students
% Black Students
2%
19%
# White Students
2,012 Students
172,046 Students
% White Students
91%
57%
# Hawaiian Students
2 Students
3,152 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
1%
# Two or more races Students
19 Students
15,411 Students
% of Two or more races Students
1%
5%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
264
7,260
# Students in K Grade:
157
33,240
# Students in 1st Grade:
149
35,859
# Students in 2nd Grade:
149
37,037
# Students in 3rd Grade:
141
35,957
# Students in 4th Grade:
150
35,919
# Students in 5th Grade:
162
35,951
# Students in 6th Grade:
151
36,175
# Students in 7th Grade:
131
21,041
# Students in 8th Grade:
141
15,262
# Students in 9th Grade:
165
1,598
# Students in 10th Grade:
159
1,565
# Students in 11th Grade:
168
1,649
# Students in 12th Grade:
117
1,433
# Ungraded Students:
-
59

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $11,243 in this school district is less than the state median of $13,132. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $9,790 is less than the state median of $13,043. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (AR)
Total Revenue
$25 MM
$6,371 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Southside School District (Independence) and median value from total revenues of all school districts in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$22 MM
$6,327 MM
This chart displays total spending of Southside School District (Independence) and median value from total spendings of all school districts in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$11,243
$13,132
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Southside School District (Independence) and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$9,790
$13,043
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Southside School District (Independence) and average spending per public school student of all school districts in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Southside School District (Independence) Public Elementary Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Southside Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
2460 Batesville Blvd
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 251-2661
Grades: PK-3
| 860 students
Rank: #22.
Southside Middle School
(Math: 51% | Reading: 31%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
70 Scott Dr
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 251-2332
Grades: 4-6
| 463 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 4 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 2,204 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 13:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 9%
  • : 90-94% (Top 20% in AR)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 45% (Top 30%)
  • : 35% (Btm 50%)
  • : 39% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), AR Dept. of Education

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