Is Central High School a good school?

Central High School ranks 146 th of 431 Indiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,126 students attended Central High School.

What is the racial makeup of Central High School?

Students at Central High School are 80% White, 8% African American, 6% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

What schools feed into Central High School?

Central High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Cedar Hall Community School Elementary : Highland Elementary School Elementary : Lincoln School Elementary : Stringtown Elementary School Middle : Thompkins Middle School

Central High School

Summary:

Central High School is a public high school in Evansville, Indiana, serving 1,090 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp, which is ranked 242 out of 381 districts in the state.

Central High School stands out for its strong academic performance, ranking 167 out of 431 Indiana high schools and earning a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. However, the school has a significantly higher percentage of white students (78.99%) compared to nearby schools, and there are notable racial achievement gaps, with white students outperforming their African American and Hispanic peers on standardized tests. The school also has a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 25.0% to 28.6% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the top-performing nearby schools like Castle High School and North High School.

When compared to these higher-performing schools, Central High School lags behind in several key metrics, such as test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 42.18% to 52.11%, suggesting that socioeconomic factors may be impacting student achievement. Despite these challenges, Central High School's academic performance and graduation rates indicate that there is potential for improvement, and the school may benefit from addressing the identified areas of concern, such as racial achievement gaps and chronic absenteeism.

Detail:

Public 9-12

5400 1st Ave
Evansville, IN 47710

(812) 435-8292

District: Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp

SchoolDigger Rank:
146^th of 431 Indiana High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,723

Feeder schools for Central High School:

Elementary:	Cedar Hall Community School
	Highland Elementary School
	Lincoln School
	Stringtown Elementary School
Middle:	Thompkins Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 1,126

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.9%

African American:

7.9%

Two or more races:

6.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 45.8%

See top rated Indiana high schools

Compare Central High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central High School ranks better than 66.1% of high schools in Indiana. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked high schools in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.47. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Central High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (79.9%), African American (7.9%), two or more races (6.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 45.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central High School is 14.6, which is the 2^nd best among 5 high schools in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp District. (See more...)

Compare Central High School employs 76.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central High School is $10,723, which is the highest among 6 high schools in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Central High School 146^th of 431 Indiana public high schools. (See Central High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp:

SchoolDigger ranks Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp 239^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Central High School.

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Your rating for Central High School?

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Rank History for Central High School

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Rank History for all students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	37.41	271^st	349	22.3%
2006	32.15	293^rd	349	16.0%
2007	32.62	290^th	354	18.1%
2008	31.99	304^th	360	15.6%
2009	32.34	300^th	364	17.6%
2010	22.80	305^th	362	15.7%
2011	30.76	275^th	364	24.5%
2012	28.80	302^nd	373	19.0%
2013	43.81	177^th	353	49.9%
2014	37.44	237^th	379	37.5%
2015	71.76	47^th	400	88.3%
2016	63.71	116^th	394	70.6%
2017	54.76	155^th	380	59.2%
2018	62.21	142^nd	385	63.1%
2019	50.62	182^nd	389	53.2%
2021	71.64	67^th	388	82.7%
2022	65.15	133^rd	409	67.5%
2023	58.84	130^th	398	67.3%
2024	58.47	146^th	431	66.1%

See the entire list of Indiana High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile
2022	50.18	41^st	94	56.4%
2023	31.78	67^th	104	35.6%
2024	23.05	81^st	102	20.6%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	48.10	124^th	285	56.5%
2024	63.21	77^th	289	73.4%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	56.95	125^th	379	67.0%
2024	55.11	139^th	377	63.1%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	55.50	152^nd	388	60.8%
2024	54.90	150^th	392	61.7%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	60.18	117^th	383	69.5%
2024	56.20	143^rd	392	63.5%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile
2022	28.51	86^th	125	31.2%
2023	54.63	38^th	125	69.6%
2024	32.70	82^nd	132	37.9%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	27.28	119^th	164	27.4%
2024	50.52	69^th	184	62.5%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile
2022	69.13	95^th	378	74.9%
2023	57.40	112^th	375	70.1%
2024	55.85	134^th	381	64.8%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Thursday, August 25, 2011

Central is an amazing school. The teacher's there are the best and they really do care how there students are doing. This school is a great school all around with sports,clubs and all. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Central High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1312	130	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1445
1989	1341	128	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1471
1990	1253	117	7	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	1379
1991	1218	116	9	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	1344
1992	1245	110	6	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	1362
1993	1264	111	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	1382
1994	1330	130	9	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	1471
1995	1330	113	11	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1459
1996	1330	113	11	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1459
1997	1359	100	9	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1473
1998	1307	125	8	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	1444
1999	1262	116	10	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	1396
2000	1244	109	9	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	1374
2001	1220	104	11	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	1347
2002	1163	103	8	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	1287
2003	1163	103	8	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	1287
2004	1204	115	11	12	5	n/a	n/a	0	1347
2005	1217	112	8	10	7	n/a	n/a	0	1354
2006	1319	121	8	10	9	n/a	n/a	0	1467
2007	1305	119	9	14	8	n/a	n/a	18	1473
2008	1304	109	9	15	4	n/a	n/a	24	1465
2009	1231	123	10	18	3	n/a	n/a	37	1422
2010	1182	116	12	20	3	n/a	n/a	55	1388
2011	1228	144	12	23	4	0	68	0	1479
2012	1063	123	13	25	2	2	80	0	1308
2013	988	132	10	33	2	1	73	0	1239
2014	935	118	7	29	3	3	83	0	1178
2015	883	110	9	24	2	1	84	0	1113
2016	848	102	10	27	0	1	90	0	1078
2017	838	102	12	30	0	1	92	0	1075
2018	800	81	15	43	0	5	83	0	1027
2019	853	79	10	57	0	5	80	0	1084
2020	822	89	12	57	0	2	79	0	1061
2021	752	74	5	46	0	1	62	0	940
2022	878	80	6	59	1	1	75	0	1100
2023	861	80	11	52	1	6	79	0	1090
2024	900	89	6	54	1	4	72	0	1126

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	1445	84.6	17.0	9.3
1989	1471	91.3	16.1	11.8
1990	1379	91.5	15.0	16.2
1991	1344	92.4	14.5	16.7
1992	1362	90.1	15.1	19.2
1993	1382	92.2	15.0	22.9
1994	1471	95.0	15.5	25.1
1995	1459	94.0	15.5	19.9
1996	1459	94.0	15.5	19.9
1997	1473	95.6	15.4	19.5
1998	1444	98.3	14.7	18.4
1999	1396	97.8	14.3	23
2000	1374	92.6	14.8	25
2001	1347	93.1	14.5	27.6
2002	1287	91.6	14.1	31.9
2003	1287	91.6	14.1	31.9
2004	1347	89.8	15.0	32.1
2005	1354	90.5	15.0	36.4
2006	1467	94.4	15.5	38.3
2007	1473	n/a	n/a	41
2008	1465	88.6	16.5	41.4
2009	1422	91.6	15.5	43.7
2010	1388	90.9	15.2	47.9
2011	1479	91.5	16.1	47.7
2012	1308	n/a	n/a	49.7
2013	1239	92.4	13.4	52.3
2014	1178	114.9	10.2	51.9
2015	1113	114.0	9.7	53.3
2016	1078	109.0	9.8	53.2
2017	1075	111.1	9.6	51.2
2018	1027	109.1	9.4	52.5
2019	1084	108.8	9.9	51.1
2020	1061	122.8	8.6	49.3
2021	940	138.5	6.7	44.3
2022	1100	63.6	17.2	42.2
2023	1090	67.8	16.0	52.1
2024	1126	76.7	14.6	45.8

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	1445	84.6	17.0	9.3
1989	1471	91.3	16.1	11.8
1990	1379	91.5	15.0	16.2
1991	1344	92.4	14.5	16.7
1992	1362	90.1	15.1	19.2
1993	1382	92.2	15.0	22.9
1994	1471	95.0	15.5	25.1
1995	1459	94.0	15.5	19.9
1996	1459	94.0	15.5	19.9
1997	1473	95.6	15.4	19.5
1998	1444	98.3	14.7	18.4
1999	1396	97.8	14.3	23
2000	1374	92.6	14.8	25
2001	1347	93.1	14.5	27.6
2002	1287	91.6	14.1	31.9
2003	1287	91.6	14.1	31.9
2004	1347	89.8	15.0	32.1
2005	1354	90.5	15.0	36.4
2006	1467	94.4	15.5	38.3
2007	1473	n/a	n/a	41
2008	1465	88.6	16.5	41.4
2009	1422	91.6	15.5	43.7
2010	1388	90.9	15.2	47.9
2011	1479	91.5	16.1	47.7
2012	1308	n/a	n/a	49.7
2013	1239	92.4	13.4	52.3
2014	1178	114.9	10.2	51.9
2015	1113	114.0	9.7	53.3
2016	1078	109.0	9.8	53.2
2017	1075	111.1	9.6	51.2
2018	1027	109.1	9.4	52.5
2019	1084	108.8	9.9	51.1
2020	1061	122.8	8.6	49.3
2021	940	138.5	6.7	44.3
2022	1100	63.6	17.2	42.2
2023	1090	67.8	16.0	52.1
2024	1126	76.7	14.6	45.8

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	$560 (5.3%)	$10,028 (94.7%)	$10,589
2020	$514 (5.0%)	$9,802 (95.0%)	$10,316
2021	$804 (7.0%)	$10,627 (93.0%)	$11,431
2022	$1,276 (11.9%)	$9,447 (88.1%)	$10,723

Data source: Indiana 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 182^nd of 389 High schools	Ranks 130^th of 398 High schools	14.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Central High School)	32.6	27.5	5.1%
End of Course Biology (Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp)	35.7	28.6	7.1%
End of Course Biology (Indiana)	38.6	29	9.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1084	1090	0.6%
African American	79	80	1.3%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	10	11	10%
Hispanic	57	52	8.8%
Pacific Islander	5	6	20%
White	853	861	0.9%
Two or More Races	80	79	1.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	51.1%	52.1%	1%

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)				SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	ILEARN Biology (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central High School	Public	9-12	5400 1st Ave	Evansville	47710	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 435-8292	1,126	77	14.6	45.8%	900 (79.9%)	89 (7.9%)	54 (4.8%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.4%)	72 (6.4%)	58.5	146^th of 431 public high schools	66.1%		58.8	130^th of 398 public high schools	67.3%	16	48.4	24.2	47.4	$10,723	$1,276	$9,447
New Technical Institute	Public	9-12	1901 Lynch Rd	Evansville	47711	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 435-0967	280	14	20.4	42.1%	229 (81.8%)	17 (6.1%)	9 (3.2%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.1%)	83.8	39^th of 431 public high schools	91.0%		77	50^th of 398 public high schools	87.4%	11	70.9	38.2	59.0	$9,822	$1,170	$8,652
Southern Ind Career and Technical Cent	Public	6-12	1901 Lynch Rd	Evansville	47711	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 435-8438	0	26	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Signature School Inc	Public, Charter	9-12	610 Main St	Evansville	47708	Vanderburgh County	Signature School Inc	Yes	No	No	Yes	(812) 421-1820	378	29	13.0	9.0%	231 (61.1%)	21 (5.6%)	24 (6.3%)	75 (19.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.6%)	99.5	2^nd of 431 public high schools	99.5%		99.9	1^st of 398 public high schools	99.7%	1	97.1	83.3	96.7	$9,318	$547	$8,772
Francis Joseph Reitz High School	Public	9-12	350 Dreier Blvd	Evansville	47712	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 435-8206	1,321	78	16.9	43.1%	1,097 (83.0%)	82 (6.2%)	40 (3.0%)	6 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (0.9%)	84 (6.4%)	61.9	126^th of 431 public high schools	70.8%		64.5	100^th of 398 public high schools	74.9%	26	47.1	28.5	49.4	$10,347	$1,178	$9,168
North High School	Public	9-12	15331 Hwy 41 N	Evansville	47725	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 435-8283	1,643	94	17.5	37.9%	1,220 (74.3%)	139 (8.5%)	92 (5.6%)	42 (2.6%)	4 (0.2%)	12 (0.7%)	134 (8.2%)	76.6	56^th of 431 public high schools	87.0%		72.9	63^rd of 398 public high schools	84.2%	7	58.6	34.6	56.1	$9,740	$1,196	$8,543
William Henry Harrison High School	Public	9-12	211 Fielding Rd	Evansville	47715	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 477-1046	1,209	80	15.1	57.0%	592 (49.0%)	256 (21.2%)	155 (12.8%)	17 (1.4%)	2 (0.2%)	29 (2.4%)	158 (13.1%)	31.2	302^nd of 431 public high schools	29.9%		34.6	274^th of 398 public high schools	31.2%	28	34.9	12.3	35.0	$10,710	$1,218	$9,492
Castle High School	Public	9-12	3344 Hwy 261	Newburgh	47630	Warrick County	Warrick County School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 853-3331	1,968	106	18.5	25.7%	1,635 (83.1%)	55 (2.8%)	102 (5.2%)	52 (2.6%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	121 (6.1%)	82.2	43^rd of 431 public high schools	90.0%		84.2	29^th of 398 public high schools	92.7%	14	69.7	42.1	53.3	$9,129	$614	$8,515
North Posey High School	Public	7-12	5900 High School Rd	Poseyville	47633	Posey County	MSD North Posey County Schools	No	No	No	No	(812) 673-4242	442	36	12.2	31.2%	415 (93.9%)	2 (0.5%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.9%)	72.4	69^th of 431 public high schools	84.0%		53.2	161^st of 398 public high schools	59.5%	92	57.4	32.4	50.9	$10,032	$726	$9,306
Gibson Southern High School	Public	9-12	3499 W 800 S	Fort Branch	47648	Gibson County	South Gibson School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(812) 753-3011	771	38	20.1	26.5%	727 (94.3%)	3 (0.4%)	14 (1.8%)	8 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	18 (2.3%)	79.9	47^th of 431 public high schools	89.1%		74.9	59^th of 398 public high schools	85.2%	12	61.5	33.1	60.8	$9,428	$449	$8,979

Central High School

Central High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Central High School

Rank History for all students at Central High School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Central High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Central High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central High School

Rank History for Female students at Central High School

Rank History for Male students at Central High School

Rank History for African American students at Central High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central High School

Rank History for White students at Central High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Central High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Central High School

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Impact of COVID-19 on Central High School

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