Is Central High School a good school?

Central High School ranks 129 th of 305 Arkansas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,338 students attended Central High School.

What is the racial makeup of Central High School?

Students at Central High School are 51% African American, 29% White, 10% Asian, 9% Hispanic.

What schools feed into Central High School?

Central High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Brady Elementary School Elementary : Forest Park Elementary School Elementary : Jefferson Elementary School Elementary : M.L. King Elementary School Elementary : McDermott Elementary School Elementary : Pulaski Heights Elementary School Elementary : Stephens Elementary Elementary : Washington Elementary School Middle : Dunbar Magnet Middle School Middle : Pulaski Heights Middle School

Central High School

Summary:

Central High School is a public high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, serving grades 8-12 with a total enrollment of 2,338 students. It is part of the Little Rock School District, which is ranked 189 out of 252 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central High School has a long history and a strong reputation, having ranked among the top high schools in Arkansas for many years. In the 2023-2024 school year, it ranked 129 out of 305 Arkansas high schools and received a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school consistently outperforms the district and the state in various standardized test scores, with 34.9% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 34.8% in Reading, 15.2% in Geometry, and 34.3% in Biology. However, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 48.8% to 55.57% over the past few years, which is higher than the state average.

When comparing Central High School to nearby schools, some interesting findings emerge. Little Rock Hall Steam Magnet High School, a public magnet school in the same district, consistently underperforms Central High School in test scores and has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Similarly, Graduate Arkansas Charter High, a public charter school, also underperforms Central High School in test scores and has a much higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. In contrast, Estem High School, a public charter school, performs comparably to Central High School in some areas, such as English Language Arts and Reading, but lags behind in Mathematics and Science.

Detail:

Public 8-12

1500 Park St
Little Rock, AR 72202

(501) 447-1400

District: Little Rock School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
129^th of 305 Arkansas High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,007

Feeder schools for Central High School:

Elementary:	Brady Elementary School
	Forest Park Elementary School
	Jefferson Elementary School
	M.L. King Elementary School
	More...
	McDermott Elementary School
	Pulaski Heights Elementary School
	Stephens Elementary
	Washington Elementary School
Middle:	Dunbar Magnet Middle School
	Pulaski Heights Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.4

Number of students: 2,338

Racial breakdown:

African American:

51.0%

White:

28.7%

Asian:

9.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 53.3%

See top rated Arkansas high schools

Compare Central High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central High School ranks better than 57.7% of high schools in Arkansas. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.94. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Central High School has the largest high school student body size in the Little Rock School District. Racial makeup is: African American (51%), White (28.7%), Asian (9.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 53.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central High School is 14.4. 1 high schools in the Little Rock School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Central High School employs 161.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central High School is $11,007. 1 high schools in the Little Rock School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Central High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Central High School 129^th of 305 Arkansas public high schools. (See Central High School in the ranking list.)

Little Rock School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Little Rock School District 189^th of 252 Arkansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Central High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AR State Percentile
2006	39.28	144^th	232	37.9%
2007	46.08	126^th	258	51.2%
2008	31.19	192^nd	256	25.0%
2009	45.36	142^nd	261	45.6%
2010	42.82	155^th	262	40.8%
2011	49.84	136^th	266	48.9%
2012	54.60	120^th	266	54.9%
2013	52.84	114^th	271	57.9%
2014	50.49	134^th	268	50.0%
2015	60.54	64^th	267	76.0%
2016	69.68	68^th	269	74.7%
2017	67.90	65^th	264	75.4%
2018	70.00	54^th	263	79.5%
2019	71.78	46^th	282	83.7%
2021	75.06	47^th	290	83.8%
2022	68.77	62^nd	282	78.0%
2023	64.17	92^nd	295	68.8%
2024	52.94	129^th	305	57.7%

See the entire list of Arkansas High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Central High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	883	1207	27	6	0	n/a	n/a	2123
1989	616	638	9	5	n/a	n/a	n/a	1268
1990	720	1110	26	5	2	n/a	n/a	1863
1991	617	977	32	2	1	n/a	n/a	1629
1992	640	1036	40	2	3	n/a	n/a	1721
1993	750	1142	36	3	3	n/a	n/a	1934
1994	618	1228	27	4	2	n/a	n/a	1879
1995	543	1017	22	8	1	n/a	n/a	1591
1996	543	1017	22	8	1	n/a	n/a	1591
1997	635	1104	29	8	1	n/a	n/a	1777
1998	725	1101	18	9	2	n/a	n/a	1855
1999	745	1097	17	12	1	n/a	n/a	1872
2000	842	1167	26	9	1	n/a	n/a	2045
2001	878	1142	34	13	2	n/a	n/a	2069
2002	841	1110	44	15	2	n/a	n/a	2012
2003	841	1110	44	15	2	n/a	n/a	2012
2004	897	1132	54	22	6	n/a	n/a	2111
2005	981	1125	63	30	4	n/a	n/a	2203
2006	1033	1273	76	35	5	n/a	n/a	2422
2007	1010	1268	74	42	6	n/a	n/a	2400
2008	987	1250	73	43	4	n/a	n/a	2357
2009	941	1332	87	48	2	n/a	n/a	2410
2010	940	1296	105	58	5	0	0	2404
2011	869	1355	145	68	5	0	14	2456
2012	829	1305	181	82	5	0	17	2419
2013	793	1337	172	107	9	0	20	2438
2014	772	1406	190	120	11	0	20	2519
2015	727	1419	190	110	21	0	22	2489
2016	710	1470	167	101	15	0	22	2485
2017	719	1432	175	115	17	0	23	2481
2018	730	1281	171	123	14	0	28	2347
2019	796	1300	199	135	13	0	23	2466
2020	785	1254	201	155	18	0	17	2430
2021	759	1308	205	167	19	1	17	2476
2022	749	1331	210	182	14	1	19	2506
2023	672	1192	227	209	19	4	15	2338

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Central High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2123	104.2	20.3	n/a
1989	1268	108.0	11.7	n/a
1990	1863	128.0	14.5	5.6
1991	1629	118.2	13.7	9.8
1992	1721	120.1	14.3	14.6
1993	1934	129.2	15.0	16.3
1994	1879	134.0	14.0	20.6
1995	1591	105.6	15.1	26.1
1996	1591	105.6	15.1	26.1
1997	1777	87.3	20.4	23.6
1998	1855	87.3	21.2	19.2
1999	1872	89.4	20.9	25.4
2000	2045	130.0	15.7	24.9
2001	2069	121.0	17.1	24.4
2002	2012	118.0	17.1	29.1
2003	2012	118.0	17.1	29.1
2004	2111	126.0	16.8	26.1
2005	2203	143.0	15.4	27.6
2006	2422	146.0	16.6	33.2
2007	2400	150.0	16.0	32.8
2008	2357	154.0	15.3	35.3
2009	2410	155.0	15.5	34.6
2010	2404	165.7	15.6	41.1
2011	2456	160.8	15.2	42.3
2012	2419	159.2	15.1	43.7
2013	2438	164.8	14.7	42.2
2014	2519	162.6	15.4	46.2
2015	2489	181.0	13.7	49.7
2016	2485	175.0	14.2	46.7
2017	2481	179.5	13.8	23.8
2018	2347	163.5	14.3	18.3
2019	2466	175.3	14.0	48.7
2020	2430	167.6	14.4	48.9
2021	2476	168.9	14.6	55.6
2022	2506	177.8	14.0	48.8
2023	2338	161.6	14.4	53.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Central High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2123	104.2	20.3	n/a
1989	1268	108.0	11.7	n/a
1990	1863	128.0	14.5	5.6
1991	1629	118.2	13.7	9.8
1992	1721	120.1	14.3	14.6
1993	1934	129.2	15.0	16.3
1994	1879	134.0	14.0	20.6
1995	1591	105.6	15.1	26.1
1996	1591	105.6	15.1	26.1
1997	1777	87.3	20.4	23.6
1998	1855	87.3	21.2	19.2
1999	1872	89.4	20.9	25.4
2000	2045	130.0	15.7	24.9
2001	2069	121.0	17.1	24.4
2002	2012	118.0	17.1	29.1
2003	2012	118.0	17.1	29.1
2004	2111	126.0	16.8	26.1
2005	2203	143.0	15.4	27.6
2006	2422	146.0	16.6	33.2
2007	2400	150.0	16.0	32.8
2008	2357	154.0	15.3	35.3
2009	2410	155.0	15.5	34.6
2010	2404	165.7	15.6	41.1
2011	2456	160.8	15.2	42.3
2012	2419	159.2	15.1	43.7
2013	2438	164.8	14.7	42.2
2014	2519	162.6	15.4	46.2
2015	2489	181.0	13.7	49.7
2016	2485	175.0	14.2	46.7
2017	2481	179.5	13.8	23.8
2018	2347	163.5	14.3	18.3
2019	2466	175.3	14.0	48.7
2020	2430	167.6	14.4	48.9
2021	2476	168.9	14.6	55.6
2022	2506	177.8	14.0	48.8
2023	2338	161.6	14.4	53.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Central High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,357 (12.3%)	$9,650 (87.7%)	$11,007

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Central High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 46^th of 282 High schools	Ranks 92^nd of 295 High schools	14.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English (Central High School)	60.9	53.3	7.6%
9th Grade English (Little Rock School District)	42.8	40	2.8%
9th Grade English (Arkansas)	58.6	53.4	5.2%
9th Grade Math (Central High School)	41.9	30.8	11.1%
9th Grade Math (Little Rock School District)	25.5	18.7	6.8%
9th Grade Math (Arkansas)	35.8	26.6	9.2%
9th Grade Science (Central High School)	41.6	35.2	6.4%
9th Grade Science (Little Rock School District)	25.2	22.2	3%
9th Grade Science (Arkansas)	35	31.9	3.1%
9th Grade Reading (Central High School)	44.1	42.3	1.8%
9th Grade Reading (Little Rock School District)	27.9	30.9	3%
9th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	37.4	40.6	3.2%
10th Grade English (Central High School)	57.9	56.1	1.8%
10th Grade English (Little Rock School District)	45.1	39.6	5.5%
10th Grade English (Arkansas)	59.6	54.4	5.2%
10th Grade Math (Central High School)	33	25.9	7.1%
10th Grade Math (Little Rock School District)	19.8	13.1	6.7%
10th Grade Math (Arkansas)	29.2	20.4	8.8%
10th Grade Science (Central High School)	34.9	30.7	4.2%
10th Grade Science (Little Rock School District)	22.6	16.5	6.1%
10th Grade Science (Arkansas)	33	28.6	4.4%
10th Grade Reading (Central High School)	34.8	37.7	2.9%
10th Grade Reading (Little Rock School District)	25	24.7	0.3%
10th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	32.2	35.9	3.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Central High School)	33.4	31.2	2.2%
11th Grade Mathematics (Little Rock School District)	17.5	15.9	1.6%
11th Grade English (Central High School)	54	53.6	0.4%
11th Grade English (Little Rock School District)	36	33.6	2.4%
11th Grade Reading (Central High School)	45	41.5	3.5%
11th Grade Reading (Little Rock School District)	26	24.3	1.7%
11th Grade Science (Central High School)	35.2	36.2	1%
11th Grade Science (Little Rock School District)	18.7	20.4	1.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	2466	2338	5.2%
African American	1300	1192	8.3%
American Indian	13	19	46.2%
Asian	199	227	14.1%
Hispanic	135	209	54.8%
Pacific Islander	0	4
White	796	672	15.6%
Two or More Races	23	15	34.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	48.7%	53.3%	4.7%

Schools Near Central High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2024)				ATLAS Reading (2024)				ATLAS Mathematics (2024)		ATLAS Algebra (2024)		ATLAS Geometry (2024)					ATLAS Science (2024)		ATLAS Biology (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 9th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 10th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading 9th Grade	ATLAS Reading 10th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 9th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Geometry 9th Grade	ATLAS Geometry 10th Grade	ATLAS Geometry 11th Grade	ATLAS Geometry 12th Grade	ATLAS Geometry All Grades	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	ATLAS Biology 9th Grade	ATLAS Biology 10th Grade	ATLAS Biology 11th Grade	ATLAS Biology 12th Grade	ATLAS Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central High School	Public	8-12	1500 Park St	Little Rock	72202	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 447-1400	2,338	162	14.4	53.3%	672 (28.7%)	1,192 (51.0%)	209 (8.9%)	227 (9.7%)	19 (0.8%)	4 (0.2%)	15 (0.6%)	52.9	129^th of 305 public high schools	57.7%		64.2	92^nd of 295 public high schools	68.8%	37		33.8	36.0	34.9		33.8	35.8	34.8			5.0	5.1	38.4	5.7	10.0		15.2			56.4	21.9	57.2	0.0	34.3	$11,007	$1,357	$9,650
Premier High School Of Little Rock	Public, Charter	9-12	1621 Dr Martin Luther King Dr	Little Rock	72206	Pulaski County	Premier High Schools Of Arkansas	Yes	No	No	Yes	(501) 400-4873	82	12	6.8	100.0%	1 (1.2%)	80 (97.6%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4.8	305^th of 305 public high schools	0.0%		2.5	292^nd of 295 public high schools	1.0%	13		0.0	0.0	0.0		0.0	5.0	2.6						0.0	0.0		0.0			0.0	16.7			10.0	$9,696	$1,389	$8,307
Premier High School Online	Public, Charter	9-12	1621 Dr Martin Luther King Dr	Little Rock	72202	Pulaski County	Premier High Schools Of Arkansas	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(501) 246-3161	125	5	26.5	33.6%	32 (25.6%)	79 (63.2%)	5 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.6%)	23.7	253^rd of 305 public high schools	17.0%					(n/a)		16.3	9.9	13.2		20.8	11.3	16.3			25.6	24.0	0.0	8.3	0.0	0.0	4.7			11.1	20.0	100.0	0.0	18.2
Ark. School For The Blind High School	Public	7-12	2600 W Markham St	Little Rock	72203	Pulaski County	Ark. School For The Blind	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 296-1810	35	16	2.1	100.0%	22 (62.9%)	7 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.7%)	77.1	38^th of 305 public high schools	87.5%					(n/a)				21.1				25.0					0.0				0.0		27.3		66.6			66.6
Arkansas Consolidated High School-Alexander	Public	6-12	700 S Main St	Little Rock	72203	Pulaski County	Division Of Youth Services School System	No	No	No	No	(501) 682-1711	104	13	8.1	97.1%	52 (50.0%)	49 (47.1%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	5.5	303^rd of 305 public high schools	0.7%		2.4	293^rd of 295 public high schools	0.7%	10	0.0	4.1	0.0	1.9	3.8	5.0	0.0	3.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0			0.0
Estem High School	Public, Charter	10-12	112 W Third St 3rd Flr	Little Rock	72201	Pulaski County	Estem Public Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(501) 374-7836	528	35	14.9	58.0%	111 (21.0%)	329 (62.3%)	45 (8.5%)	9 (1.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.1%)	60.5	102^nd of 305 public high schools	66.6%		47.3	158^th of 295 public high schools	46.4%	56			35.1	35.1			37.1	37.1						12.9	0.0		12.8				13.1	66.7	100.0	16.9	$10,330	$817	$9,513
Little Rock Hall Steam Magnet High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	6700 H Street	Little Rock	72205	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(501) 447-1900	335	29	11.6	76.1%	29 (8.7%)	257 (76.7%)	44 (13.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	24	251^st of 305 public high schools	17.7%		18.9	258^th of 295 public high schools	12.5%	7		9.3	22.1	16.2		12.0	24.4	18.7			7.6	7.4	28.6	5.3	0.0	0.0	7.1			10.0	21.4	0.0	0.0	19.5
North Little Rock High School	Public	9-12	101 W 2nd St	North Little Rock	72114	Pulaski County	North Little Rock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 771-8100	1,949	150	12.9	99.9%	529 (27.1%)	1,101 (56.5%)	231 (11.9%)	20 (1.0%)	7 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	59 (3.0%)	18.9	267^th of 305 public high schools	12.5%		31.8	218^th of 295 public high schools	26.1%	49		11.4	22.2	16.7		13.0	23.4	18.1			2.6	2.4	2.9	1.5	0.0	0.0	1.4			36.7	11.2	0.0	20.0	14.8	$12,319	$2,249	$10,070
North Little Rock Center Of Excellence	Public, Charter	9-12	2201 West 22nd St	North Little Rock	72114	Pulaski County	North Little Rock School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(501) 975-3895	372	34	11.0	100.0%	78 (21.0%)	221 (59.4%)	52 (14.0%)	7 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.5%)	51.4	134^th of 305 public high schools	56.1%		41.9	180^th of 295 public high schools	39.0%	46		34.7	34.4	34.5		34.4	36.0	35.1			7.7	7.6	29.4	1.2	0.0		5.8			55.0	24.1			34.1	$8,321	$895	$7,427
Premier High School Of North Little Rock	Public, Charter	9-12	801 West 29th Street	North Little Rock	72114	Pulaski County	Responsive Educational Solutions Premier High School N Litt	Yes	No	No	Yes	(501) 333-9541	135	7	20.7	100.0%	11 (8.1%)	111 (82.2%)	6 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.4%)	10.4	295^th of 305 public high schools	3.3%		3.3	290^th of 295 public high schools	1.7%	5		0.0	11.1	6.5		0.0	16.7	9.4					0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0			0.0	0.0		0.0	0.0

Central High School

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