Central High School

Summary:

Central High School is a public high school serving 1,053 students in grades 9-12 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, part of the highly-ranked Forest Hills Public Schools district.

Central High School is an exceptional educational institution, consistently ranking among the top high schools in Michigan. It boasts strong academic performance, with 73.2% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in M-Step/Science and 73.8% proficient or better in M-Step/Social Studies, far exceeding the state averages. The school's four-year graduation rate is an impressive 98.5%, and its dropout rate is just 1.0%. Central High School also stands out for its exceptional performance with special education and low socioeconomic status students, ranking 1st and 8th in the state, respectively, for these subgroups. The school's diverse student population, with significant percentages of Asian and multi-racial students, as well as notable representation of African American and Hispanic students, is a testament to its commitment to equity and inclusive education.

While Central High School outperforms nearby Northern High School and Eastern High School (both part of the Forest Hills Public Schools district) on most metrics, it is interesting to note that East Grand Rapids High School, which is in a different district, also ranks among the top high schools in the state, suggesting the importance of district-level factors in shaping school performance. Additionally, Central High School has seen a rise in chronic absenteeism, from 9.3% in 2017-2018 to 17.1% in 2022-2023, which is an area the school may want to address to maintain its high levels of academic achievement.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 5901 Hall St SE
       Grand Rapids, MI  49546-3849


(616) 493-8700

District: Forest Hills Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
6th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,704 Help


Feeder schools for Central High School:

Elementary:    Ada Elementary School
    Ada Vista Elementary School
    Pine Ridge Elementary School
    Thornapple Elementary School
Middle:    Central Middle School
    Central Woodlands 56 School

Student/teacher ratio:  21.0 Help
Number of students:  1,053

Racial breakdown:

White:
82.1%
Asian:
7.2%
Two or more races:
4.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  13.7% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Central High School ranks better than 99.2% of high schools in Michigan. It also ranks first among 3 ranked high schools in the Forest Hills Public Schools District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 98.85. (See more...)
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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.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (82.1%), Asian (7.2%), two or more races (4.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 13.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Forest Hills Public Schools District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central High School is 21, which is the highest among 4 high schools in the Forest Hills Public Schools District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Central High School employs 50.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central High School is $14,704, which is the lowest among 4 high schools in the Forest Hills Public Schools District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Central High School 6th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Central High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
White students:


Forest Hills Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Forest Hills Public Schools 15th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Central High School?

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 MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 94.09 8th 705 98.9%
2007 95.00 7th 767 99.1%
2008 95.21 7th 750 99.1%
2009 94.46 11th 754 98.5%
2010 93.55 5th 765 99.3%
2011 91.50 20th 784 97.4%
2012 97.56 11th 773 98.6%
2013 95.80 24th 805 97.0%
2014 95.48 23rd 799 97.1%
2015 97.60 13th 832 98.4%
2016 96.48 13th 852 98.5%
2017 97.56 10th 835 98.8%
2018 97.16 10th 824 98.8%
2019 96.68 16th 666 97.6%
2021 92.79 34th 561 93.9%
2022 96.36 22nd 531 95.9%
2023 92.96 36th 735 95.1%
2024 98.85 6th 743 99.2%
See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 93.10 5th 93 94.6%
2023 72.41 23rd 110 79.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan 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 MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 91.35 9th 315 97.1%
2019 89.01 5th 61 91.8%
2023 93.84 4th 116 96.6%
2024 99.94 1st 130 99.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan 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 MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.00 46th 755 93.9%
2019 96.20 16th 532 97.0%
2021 90.94 30th 417 92.8%
2022 99.19 5th 369 98.6%
2023 76.35 102nd 614 83.4%
2024 99.03 8th 654 98.8%
See the entire list of Best Michigan 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 MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 96.70 9th 710 98.7%
2019 93.00 28th 554 94.9%
2021 89.38 35th 462 92.4%
2022 94.75 18th 416 95.7%
2023 93.06 24th 611 96.1%
2024 98.42 5th 619 99.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 96.11 11th 707 98.4%
2019 97.82 6th 543 98.9%
2021 91.23 33rd 472 93.0%
2022 96.71 19th 440 95.7%
2023 89.98 47th 611 92.3%
2024 98.73 4th 633 99.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 83.29 13th 87 85.1%
2019 76.32 11th 42 73.8%
2021 53.18 26th 42 38.1%
2024 85.32 9th 70 87.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for White students at Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 96.07 15th 708 97.9%
2019 96.29 17th 582 97.1%
2021 91.61 38th 516 92.6%
2022 95.62 18th 492 96.3%
2023 89.66 51st 647 92.1%
2024 98.65 6th 638 99.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan 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.

Central High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
50%

0%

0%

0%

50%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Saturday, February 27, 2010

Open Quote Amazing options for any students who need special attention or additional learning help. Unlike many others in the state due to sizeable pockets and funds for each student. 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 1027 2 19 3 0 n/a n/a -5 1046
1989 972 4 20 4 1 n/a n/a 0 1001
1990 948 5 19 4 0 n/a n/a -1 975
1991 931 7 18 7 0 n/a n/a 0 963
1992 943 9 24 9 0 n/a n/a 0 985
1993 967 10 22 10 1 n/a n/a 0 1010
1994 959 9 24 6 1 n/a n/a 0 999
1995 1109 13 28 10 1 n/a n/a 0 1161
1996 1109 13 28 10 1 n/a n/a 0 1161
1997 1187 14 37 8 0 n/a n/a -14 1232
1998 1218 14 44 5 1 n/a n/a -11 1271
1999 1228 11 58 12 1 n/a n/a 0 1310
2000 1216 9 59 6 1 n/a n/a 47 1338
2001 1245 13 60 8 0 n/a n/a 0 1326
2002 1325 10 10 2 10 n/a n/a 0 1357
2003 1325 10 10 2 10 n/a n/a 0 1357
2004 1343 11 11 2 3 n/a n/a 0 1370
2005 1268 14 13 8 2 n/a n/a 0 1305
2006 1169 31 76 15 0 n/a n/a 0 1291
2007 1225 40 77 14 1 n/a n/a 0 1357
2008 1212 41 76 19 2 n/a n/a 0 1350
2009 1214 47 84 20 3 n/a n/a 0 1368
2010 1195 35 74 19 4 n/a n/a 0 1327
2011 1142 46 76 18 3 1 1 0 1287
2012 1149 48 71 20 7 0 5 0 1300
2013 1136 37 76 22 8 0 10 0 1289
2014 1141 37 66 23 5 0 23 0 1295
2015 1135 33 70 20 9 0 38 0 1305
2016 1125 33 82 23 4 0 48 0 1315
2017 1077 31 79 26 3 0 42 0 1258
2018 1021 29 87 29 4 0 55 0 1225
2019 1026 22 85 34 3 0 54 0 1224
2020 985 28 83 40 3 0 51 0 1190
2021 983 25 78 33 1 0 57 0 1177
2022 947 26 75 40 1 0 47 0 1136
2023 864 23 76 42 2 0 46 0 1053

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

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1046 n/a n/a n/a
1989 1001 n/a n/a 0.2
1990 975 68.0 14.3 0.1
1991 963 n/a n/a n/a
1992 985 n/a n/a 1.1
1993 1010 n/a 0.0 1.3
1994 999 57.3 17.4 0.2
1995 1161 66.3 17.5 0.7
1996 1161 66.3 17.5 0.7
1997 1232 69.0 17.9 0.6
1998 1271 70.0 18.2 0.7
1999 1310 73.0 17.9 0.2
2000 1338 82.3 15.7 1.5
2001 1326 77.2 17.2 1.5
2002 1357 77.1 17.6 1.5
2003 1357 77.1 17.6 1.5
2004 1370 80.6 17.0 2.1
2005 1305 70.5 18.5 2.3
2006 1291 70.4 18.3 3.7
2007 1357 71.8 18.9 5.8
2008 1350 73.1 18.5 5.4
2009 1368 74.2 18.4 6.9
2010 1327 72.3 18.3 6
2011 1287 72.2 17.8 7.2
2012 1300 68.8 18.8 9
2013 1289 67.1 19.1 8.5
2014 1295 66.7 19.4 8.9
2015 1305 68.0 19.1 7.3
2016 1315 64.0 20.5 7.1
2017 1258 59.0 21.3 5.9
2018 1225 55.8 21.9 9.5
2019 1224 55.0 22.2 10.6
2020 1190 53.6 22.1 11.8
2021 1177 54.7 21.5 11.6
2022 1136 51.5 22.0 12.9
2023 1053 50.1 21.0 13.7

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

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1046 n/a n/a n/a
1989 1001 n/a n/a 0.2
1990 975 68.0 14.3 0.1
1991 963 n/a n/a n/a
1992 985 n/a n/a 1.1
1993 1010 n/a 0.0 1.3
1994 999 57.3 17.4 0.2
1995 1161 66.3 17.5 0.7
1996 1161 66.3 17.5 0.7
1997 1232 69.0 17.9 0.6
1998 1271 70.0 18.2 0.7
1999 1310 73.0 17.9 0.2
2000 1338 82.3 15.7 1.5
2001 1326 77.2 17.2 1.5
2002 1357 77.1 17.6 1.5
2003 1357 77.1 17.6 1.5
2004 1370 80.6 17.0 2.1
2005 1305 70.5 18.5 2.3
2006 1291 70.4 18.3 3.7
2007 1357 71.8 18.9 5.8
2008 1350 73.1 18.5 5.4
2009 1368 74.2 18.4 6.9
2010 1327 72.3 18.3 6
2011 1287 72.2 17.8 7.2
2012 1300 68.8 18.8 9
2013 1289 67.1 19.1 8.5
2014 1295 66.7 19.4 8.9
2015 1305 68.0 19.1 7.3
2016 1315 64.0 20.5 7.1
2017 1258 59.0 21.3 5.9
2018 1225 55.8 21.9 9.5
2019 1224 55.0 22.2 10.6
2020 1190 53.6 22.1 11.8
2021 1177 54.7 21.5 11.6
2022 1136 51.5 22.0 12.9
2023 1053 50.1 21.0 13.7

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

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $284 (2.7%) $10,120 (97.3%) $10,405
2020 $376 (3.5%) $10,418 (96.5%) $10,794
2021 $794 (6.5%) $11,332 (93.5%) $12,125
2022 $804 (6.3%) $12,009 (93.7%) $12,813
2023 $888 (6.0%) $13,815 (94.0%) $14,704

Data source: Michigan 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 16th of 666 High schoolsRanks 36th of 735 High schools
 2.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Central High School)77.365.4
 11.9%
   11th Grade Social Studies (Forest Hills Public Schools)74.859.3
 15.5%
   11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)46.636.1
 10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Central High School)84.282.4
 1.8%
   11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Forest Hills Public Schools)82.980.7
 2.2%
   11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)55.352.2
 3.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Central High School)64.571.9
 7.4%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Forest Hills Public Schools)67.167.8
 0.7%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Michigan)36.329.9
 6.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students12241053
 14%
African American2223
 4.5%
American Indian32
 33.3%
Asian8576
 10.6%
Hispanic3442
 23.5%
Pacific Islander00
White1026864
 15.8%
Two or More Races5446
 14.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients10.6%13.7%
 3.1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Central High School

Students at Central High School are 82% White, 7% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 2% African American.

Yes! Central High School is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 6th of 743 Michigan high schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,053 students attended Central High School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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