South Side Grade School

www.unit40.org

248 Students

Elementary School 1st - 2nd

School Overview

South Side Grade School is a public elementary school located in Effingham, Illinois, serving the local community within the Effingham Community Unit School District 40. Situated on West Douglas Avenue, the school focuses on providing foundational education to students in the primary grade levels. It is recognized for fostering a supportive neighborhood environment that emphasizes both academic development and social-emotional growth, aiming to prepare young learners for their transition into middle school.

As part of the broader Effingham school system, South Side Grade School benefits from the district's commitment to consistent curriculum standards and community engagement. The school typically hosts a variety of extracurricular activities and parent-teacher initiatives designed to strengthen the bond between the classroom and the home. By prioritizing small-community values alongside structured educational programming, the school serves as a central hub for childhood development in the Effingham area.

248

Total Students

25.0

Full-Time Teachers

9.9

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for South Side Grade School
Demographic	Student Count
White	213
Hispanic	25
Black	5
Asian	1
Two or More	4

White
213 (85.9%)
Hispanic
25 (10.1%)
Black
5 (2.0%)
Two or More
4 (1.6%)
Asian
1 (0.4%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Effingham CUSD 40
Phone:	(217)540-1530
Website:	http://www.unit40.org
Grade Range:	1st - 2nd
Total Students:	248
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	25.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	9.9
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 1 142

Grade 2 106