The front entrance to South High.

South High Community School is a public school located at the western border of the city of Worcester, MA. For the 2015-2016 school year, the school has an enrollment of a little over 1,300 students who are in grades 9-12. There are slightly more male than female students, and a heavy minority population: African American 17.4%, Asian 14.5%, Hispanic 42%, Native American 0.1%, and Multi-Race/Non-Hispanic 2.6%. Most of those students’ first language is not English (57.5%) and many of them are considered English language learners (30.9%). A significant portion of the student population is considered high needs (73.4%) and about a fifth of the population are students with disabilities (22.9%). About half of the students are labeled as economically disadvantaged (52.5%) and they benefit from free breakfast and lunch every day, which South High provides to ensure that no student goes hungry while in school.

There are also numerous special academic, extracurricular, and community engagement programs at South High. Some notable ones are the Goddard Scholars Program (or Academy), preschool, and Andy’s Attic. The Goddard Scholars Program is an academically accelerated program for high-achieving students who start in grades 6-8 at Sullivan Middle School (located next door to South High). Those students are required to take a minimum of 5 AP classes of the 21 offered at South High in order to graduate as a Goddard Scholar. South High also provides a full-time preschool for the children of student-parents. Andy’s Attic is a non-profit organization run entirely by student volunteers. It provides gently used clothing, shoes, backpacks, toiletries and some school supplies to teenagers and families in need.

An interior view of part of the Andy’s Attic room.