Central High School

Summary:

Central High School is a public high school in Grand Haven, Michigan, serving 101 students in grades 9-12. While the Grand Haven Area Public Schools district is ranked 153 out of 610 districts in the state and rated 4 out of 5 stars, Central High School faces significant challenges that set it apart from its neighboring high-performing schools.

Central High School consistently ranks in the bottom half of Michigan high schools, with low academic performance well below the district and state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, only 28.1% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in M-Step/Science, compared to 51.5% for the district and 37.5% for the state. The school also struggles with high dropout rates, ranging from 6.3% to 22.7% in recent years, and extremely high chronic absenteeism, reaching as high as 91.3% in 2021-2022. These issues are compounded by the fact that Central High School serves a student population with a high percentage (61.39%) of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, significantly higher than the district average of 24.48% at Grand Haven High School.

While Central High School faces these challenges, the nearby Spring Lake High School and Grand Haven High School perform significantly better. Spring Lake High School ranks in the top 11 high schools in Michigan and achieves a 98.7% four-year graduation rate, while Grand Haven High School ranks in the top 40 and has a 91.7% four-year graduation rate, compared to Central High School's 54.8%. This stark contrast suggests that the issues at Central High School may not be solely due to a lack of funding, as the school's spending per student is significantly higher than its neighbors, but rather a complex combination of factors, including student demographics, community engagement, and school leadership.

Detail:

Public 9-12

106 S 6th St
Grand Haven, MI 49417-1418

(616) 850-6800

District: Grand Haven Area Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
561^st of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,880

Student/teacher ratio: 15.0

Number of students: 101

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.2%

Hispanic:

9.9%

Two or more races:

5.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Central High School ranks worse than 75.5% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.35. (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.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 (78.2%), Hispanic (9.9%), two or more races (5.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 61.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Grand Haven Area Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central High School is 15, which is the lowest among 3 high schools in the Grand Haven Area Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Central High School employs 6.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central High School is $22,880. 1 high schools in the Grand Haven Area Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Central High School 561^st of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Central High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

White students:

Grand Haven Area Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Grand Haven Area Public Schools 153^rd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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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	MI State Percentile
2006	8.58	635^th	705	9.9%
2007	19.60	615^th	767	19.8%
2008	33.84	552^nd	750	26.4%
2009	22.03	595^th	754	21.1%
2010	14.91	643^rd	765	15.9%
2011	43.23	526^th	784	32.9%
2012	41.02	500^th	773	35.3%
2013	28.88	564^th	805	29.9%
2014	20.30	607^th	799	24.0%
2015	19.47	661^st	832	20.6%
2016	31.52	553^rd	852	35.1%
2017	25.61	553^rd	835	33.8%
2018	9.62	705^th	824	14.4%
2023	21.29	577^th	735	21.5%
2024	24.35	561^st	743	24.5%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

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
2018	14.12	620^th	755	17.9%
2023	41.07	368^th	614	40.1%
2024	27.87	483^rd	654	26.1%

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
2023	23.33	480^th	611	21.4%

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
2018	10.72	603^rd	707	14.7%
2023	20.16	504^th	611	17.5%
2024	40.83	371^st	633	41.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	4.22	663^rd	708	6.4%
2023	10.63	603^rd	647	6.8%
2024	15.57	563^rd	638	11.8%

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.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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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	241	2	2	7	4	n/a	n/a	-1	255
1989	233	3	1	3	8	n/a	n/a	0	248
1990	229	3	2	3	5	n/a	n/a	0	242
1991	207	3	1	5	9	n/a	n/a	0	225
1992	209	2	2	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	219
1993	192	5	8	2	14	n/a	n/a	0	221
1994	177	10	4	7	13	n/a	n/a	0	211
1995	165	8	3	4	5	n/a	n/a	0	185
1996	165	8	3	4	5	n/a	n/a	0	185
1997	154	3	6	6	5	n/a	n/a	0	174
1998	190	3	1	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	203
1999	187	0	3	7	5	n/a	n/a	0	202
2000	168	0	4	6	2	n/a	n/a	17	197
2001	208	3	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	219
2002	114	5	1	6	4	n/a	n/a	2	132
2003	114	5	1	6	4	n/a	n/a	2	132
2004	93	3	2	2	2	n/a	n/a	3	105
2005	104	4	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	1	112
2006	105	0	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	1	110
2007	96	1	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	1	103
2008	98	2	1	4	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	105
2009	98	0	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	2	104
2010	107	2	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	1	115
2011	80	4	0	5	2	0	3	0	94
2012	101	4	0	6	2	0	3	0	116
2013	87	2	0	4	1	0	1	0	95
2014	89	1	0	5	0	0	4	0	99
2015	97	1	0	10	0	0	3	0	111
2016	88	2	0	8	1	0	5	0	104
2017	80	2	1	9	1	0	7	0	100
2018	73	4	1	15	1	0	4	0	98
2019	84	3	0	20	0	0	5	0	112
2020	83	3	1	14	0	0	4	0	105
2021	70	2	0	13	0	0	2	0	87
2022	78	1	1	7	1	0	3	0	91
2023	79	3	2	10	1	0	6	0	101

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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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	255	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	248	n/a	n/a	26.6
1990	242	24.0	10.0	22.7
1991	225	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	219	n/a	n/a	47.9
1993	221	n/a	0.0	55.7
1994	211	11.5	18.3	48.3
1995	185	12.4	14.9	47
1996	185	12.4	14.9	47
1997	174	12.0	14.5	41.4
1998	203	12.0	16.9	27.1
1999	202	11.0	18.4	25.7
2000	197	10.6	17.0	36.1
2001	219	11.5	19.0	26.9
2002	132	4.0	33.0	20.8
2003	132	4.0	33.0	20.8
2004	105	5.7	18.4	22.5
2005	112	6.7	16.7	27
2006	110	6.0	18.3	39.4
2007	103	6.7	15.4	41.2
2008	105	6.4	16.4	48.6
2009	104	6.8	15.3	56.9
2010	115	7.8	14.5	59.6
2011	94	8.6	10.8	68.1
2012	116	9.2	12.5	65.5
2013	95	9.0	10.5	65.3
2014	99	6.8	14.3	65.7
2015	111	9.0	12.3	65.8
2016	104	9.0	11.5	69.2
2017	100	8.2	12.1	62
2018	98	8.0	12.1	74.5
2019	112	9.1	12.2	59.8
2020	105	8.0	12.9	53.3
2021	87	8.4	10.2	62.1
2022	91	5.9	15.2	54.9
2023	101	6.7	15.0	61.4

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	255	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	248	n/a	n/a	26.6
1990	242	24.0	10.0	22.7
1991	225	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	219	n/a	n/a	47.9
1993	221	n/a	0.0	55.7
1994	211	11.5	18.3	48.3
1995	185	12.4	14.9	47
1996	185	12.4	14.9	47
1997	174	12.0	14.5	41.4
1998	203	12.0	16.9	27.1
1999	202	11.0	18.4	25.7
2000	197	10.6	17.0	36.1
2001	219	11.5	19.0	26.9
2002	132	4.0	33.0	20.8
2003	132	4.0	33.0	20.8
2004	105	5.7	18.4	22.5
2005	112	6.7	16.7	27
2006	110	6.0	18.3	39.4
2007	103	6.7	15.4	41.2
2008	105	6.4	16.4	48.6
2009	104	6.8	15.3	56.9
2010	115	7.8	14.5	59.6
2011	94	8.6	10.8	68.1
2012	116	9.2	12.5	65.5
2013	95	9.0	10.5	65.3
2014	99	6.8	14.3	65.7
2015	111	9.0	12.3	65.8
2016	104	9.0	11.5	69.2
2017	100	8.2	12.1	62
2018	98	8.0	12.1	74.5
2019	112	9.1	12.2	59.8
2020	105	8.0	12.9	53.3
2021	87	8.4	10.2	62.1
2022	91	5.9	15.2	54.9
2023	101	6.7	15.0	61.4

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	$303 (2.0%)	$15,222 (98.0%)	$15,525
2020	$346 (2.1%)	$16,243 (97.9%)	$16,589
2021	$803 (3.8%)	$20,436 (96.2%)	$21,239
2022	$676 (3.2%)	$20,257 (96.8%)	$20,933
2023	$864 (3.8%)	$22,016 (96.2%)	$22,880

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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	112	101	9.8%
African American	3	3
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	20	10	50%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	84	79	6%
Two or More Races	5	6	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	59.8%	61.4%	1.6%

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)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step Science (2024)	M-Step Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central High School	Public	9-12	106 S 6th St	Grand Haven	49417	Ottawa County	Grand Haven Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 850-6800	101	7	15.0	61.4%	79 (78.2%)	3 (3.0%)	10 (9.9%)	2 (2.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.9%)	24.4	561^st of 743 public high schools	24.5%		21.3	577^th of 735 public high schools	21.5%	16		30.3		28.1	21.9	$22,880	$864	$22,016
Career Development School	Public	9-12	106 S 6th St	Grand Haven	49417	Ottawa County	Grand Haven Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 850-6800	8	0	32.0		7 (87.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						$30,320	$829	$29,490
Grand Haven High School	Public	9-12	17001 Ferris St	Grand Haven	49417	Ottawa County	Grand Haven Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 850-6000	1,732	94	18.3	24.5%	1,503 (86.8%)	24 (1.4%)	115 (6.6%)	27 (1.6%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (3.3%)	84.1	85^th of 743 public high schools	88.6%		92.1	40^th of 735 public high schools	94.6%	45		71.1	43.3	54.0	47.0	$14,983	$1,012	$13,971
Spring Lake Alternative Education	Public	9-12	14707 Leonard Rd	Spring Lake	49456	Ottawa County	Spring Lake Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 847-7587	26	2	15.9	76.9%	21 (80.8%)	3 (11.5%)	1 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.8%)								(n/a)						$16,247	$588	$15,659
Spring Lake High School	Public	9-12	16140 148th Ave	Spring Lake	49456	Ottawa County	Spring Lake Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 846-5501	788	40	19.7	15.7%	719 (91.2%)	8 (1.0%)	24 (3.0%)	20 (2.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	14 (1.8%)	98.1	11^th of 743 public high schools	98.5%		90.4	48^th of 735 public high schools	93.5%	37		83.0	62.6	74.7	67.0	$14,062	$1,418	$12,644
Fruitport Adult Education	Public	9-12	357 N 6th Ave	Fruitport	49415	Muskegon County	Fruitport Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 865-3114	27	2	14.2	70.4%	22 (81.5%)	2 (7.4%)	1 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.7%)								(n/a)						$11,169	$987	$10,182
Fruitport Alternative High School	Public	9-12	3255 Pontaluna Rd	Fruitport	49415	Muskegon County	Fruitport Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 865-3101	17	1	14.1	70.6%	12 (70.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (11.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (11.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.9%)								(n/a)					45.5	$11,398	$987	$10,411
Fruitport High School	Public	9-12	357 N 6th Ave	Fruitport	49415	Muskegon County	Fruitport Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 865-3101	810	48	16.8	50.9%	685 (84.6%)	31 (3.8%)	50 (6.2%)	10 (1.2%)	12 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (2.6%)	53.6	309^th of 743 public high schools	58.4%		55	310^th of 735 public high schools	57.8%	1		51.3	28.0	28.7	44.4	$14,666	$1,565	$13,101
Mona Shores High School	Public	9-12	1121 Seminole Rd	Muskegon	49441	Muskegon County	Mona Shores Public School District	No	No	No	No	(231) 780-4711	1,268	78	16.2	42.0%	929 (73.3%)	149 (11.8%)	95 (7.5%)	25 (2.0%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (5.1%)	57.7	284^th of 743 public high schools	61.8%		50.8	344^th of 735 public high schools	53.2%	60		59.5	34.5	24.3	41.1	$14,874	$1,461	$13,412
Muskegon Heights Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter	7-12	2441 Sanford St	Muskegon	49444	Muskegon County	Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(231) 830-3700	272	7	38.8	95.6%	19 (7.0%)	250 (91.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)								(n/a)	9.5					$17,462	$4,765	$12,697

Frequently Asked Questions about Central High School

What is the racial makeup of Central High School?

Students at Central High School are 78% White, 10% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian.

Is Central High School a good school?

Central High School ranks in the bottom 24.5% of Michigan high schools.

How many students attend Central High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 101 students attended Central High School.

What district is Central High School in?

Grand Haven Area Public Schools

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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.