Southern Middle School

400 Wilson-Downing Rd
Lexington, KY 40517

759 Students

Middle School 6th - 8th

School Overview

Southern Middle School, located at 400 Wilson-Downing Road in Lexington, Kentucky, is part of the Fayette County Public Schools district. Serving students in the suburban area of southern Lexington, the school focuses on providing a comprehensive middle school education that prepares students for the transition to high school. The facility is situated in a well-established neighborhood, functioning as a central hub for the surrounding community’s adolescents during their formative middle grade years.

The school is dedicated to fostering both academic growth and social-emotional development, offering a variety of extracurricular activities, clubs, and athletic programs alongside its core curriculum. By maintaining a focus on inclusivity and student engagement, Southern Middle School strives to create a supportive learning environment that meets the diverse needs of its student body. As part of a larger urban school district, the school works to balance rigorous academic standards with the personalized attention necessary to help middle schoolers succeed during a pivotal time in their education.

759

Total Students

55.7

Full-Time Teachers

13.6

Student/Teacher Ratio

52.6%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Southern Middle School
Demographic	Student Count
White	361
Hispanic	127
Black	184
Asian	33
Two or More	50
American Indian	1
Pacific Islander	3

White
361 (47.6%)
Black
184 (24.2%)
Hispanic
127 (16.7%)
Two or More
50 (6.6%)
Asian
33 (4.3%)
Pacific Islander
3 (0.4%)
American Indian
1 (0.1%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Middle School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Fayette County
Phone:	(859)381-3582
Grade Range:	6th - 8th
Total Students:	759
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	55.7
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	13.6
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	390
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	9

* 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 6 242

Grade 7 232

Grade 8 285

Grades Taught Data Table

Grades Taught and Student Counts for Southern Middle School
Grade	Student Count
Grade 6	242
Grade 7	232
Grade 8	285

Gender Ratio

Student Gender Ratio Data Table

Student Gender Ratio for Southern Middle School
Gender	Student Count	Percentage
Female	370	48.7%
Male	389	51.3%

Middle School 6th - 8th

West Jessamine Middle School

Jessamine County

887 Students

1400 Wilmore Rd
Nicholasville, KY 40356 (8.3 miles away)

Middle School 6th - 8th