From the Principal

Welcome to Southside Elementary. We are a rural school where kids matter the most. Our total student population fluctuates around 160 students with over 20 staff members. We are currently maintaining a 15:1 student to teacher ratio with 87% of our teachers having 3 more or more years of experience. We focus heavily on passionately equipping all students with the skills needed for a promising future.

We have many things going for us south of beautiful Sandpoint Idaho, and what separates us from most schools is our STEM certification. We are one of the leading STEM elementary schools in Idaho. We have the first ever SMART Lab in the state. Our STEM action priorities include trimester Project Based learning (PBL) activities where we focus on inquiry based learning, with hands-on discovery, for tomorrow's future job requirements. Students are able to explore on our “nature trail'' and learn hands-on lessons in our “outdoor classroom”. We try to offer more field trips each year so students can learn from local professionals in our region.


We are a family focused elementary school where we join parents in a team effort to prepare students for middle and high school. We provide a safe learning environment and take high levels of learning very seriously. Southside Eagles SOAR in everything we do. Many of our staff are local including the principal who is a 3rd of 5 generations who attended Southside Elementary. Find us on Facebook where we try to maintain updates and upcoming events.


TJ Clary, Principal Southside Elementary