Southern MS

931 Chestnut St
Reading, PA 19602

759 Students

Middle School 5th - 8th

School Overview

Southern Middle School, located at 931 Chestnut Street in Reading, Pennsylvania, serves the local community as a key educational facility within the Reading School District. The school caters to students in the middle grades, providing a structured academic environment designed to bridge the transition between elementary and high school. Its location in the heart of Reading places it centrally within the city’s urban landscape, allowing it to serve a diverse student population with a wide range of backgrounds and needs.

As part of the Reading School District, Southern Middle School focuses on fostering both academic growth and personal development through a comprehensive curriculum. The school works to prepare students for the rigors of secondary education by emphasizing core subjects while often providing extracurricular activities and support services aimed at student engagement. By maintaining a presence on Chestnut Street, the school remains a focal point for families in the area, dedicated to the mission of providing equitable learning opportunities and community-centered support for its middle-school-aged students.

759

Total Students

55.3

Full-Time Teachers

13.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Southern MS
Demographic	Student Count
White	25
Hispanic	651
Black	70
Asian	1
Two or More	12

Hispanic
651 (85.8 %)
Black
70 (9.2 %)
White
25 (3.3 %)
Two or More
12 (1.6 %)
Asian
1 (0.1 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Middle School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	Supplemental Virtual
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Reading SD
Phone:	(610)371-5803
Grade Range:	5th - 8th
Total Students:	759
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	55.3
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	13.7
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 5 178

Grade 6 204

Grade 7 193

Grade 8 184