Is Carson High a good school?

Carson High ranks in the bottom 23.9% of North Carolina high schools.

How many students attend Carson High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,135 students attended Carson High.

What is the racial makeup of Carson High?

Students at Carson High are 66% White, 22% Hispanic, 7% African American, 5% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Carson High?

Carson High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Bostian Elementary Elementary : China Grove Elementary Middle : Southeast Middle

Carson High

Summary:

Carson High is a public high school located in China Grove, North Carolina, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,170 students. The school is part of the Rowan-Salisbury Schools district, which is ranked 212 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Carson High's academic performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in End-of-Course (EOC) exams, is generally lower than the state and district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 37.5% of Carson High students were proficient or better in EOC/Biology, compared to the state average of 53.4%. The school's statewide ranking has also declined over the years, from 215 out of 469 North Carolina high schools in 2017-2018 to 487 out of 640 in 2023-2024, with a consistent 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Additionally, Carson High's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with the school ranking 324 out of 437 North Carolina high schools for African American students, but 486 out of 553 for white students.

When compared to nearby schools, such as East Rowan High and Rowan County Early College, Carson High generally underperforms academically. For instance, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in EOC/Math III was 37.1% at Carson High, compared to 39.2% at East Rowan High and 88.2% at Rowan County Early College. Additionally, the growing percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Carson High, from 24.92% in 2020-2021 to 48.29% in 2022-2023, suggests that the school may need to allocate more resources and support to address the needs of its economically disadvantaged population.

Detail:

Public 9-12

290 Kress Venture Dr
China Grove, NC 28023

(704) 855-7297

District: Rowan-Salisbury Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
487^th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,570

Feeder schools for Carson High:

Elementary:	Bostian Elementary
	China Grove Elementary
Middle:	Southeast Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 18.7

Number of students: 1,135

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.0%

Hispanic:

21.9%

African American:

6.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Carson High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Carson High ranks worse than 76.1% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 3^rd among 7 ranked high schools in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.78. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Carson High has the largest high school student body size in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (66%), Hispanic (21.9%), African American (6.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Carson High is 18.7. 4 high schools in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Carson High employs 60.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Carson High is $8,570. 6 high schools in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Carson High:

SchoolDigger ranks Carson High 487^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Carson High 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:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Rowan-Salisbury Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Rowan-Salisbury Schools 212^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Carson High.

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Your rating for Carson High?

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Rank History for Carson High

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Rank History for all students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2007	61.07	131^st	453	71.1%
2008	65.81	100^th	477	79.0%
2009	55.17	213^th	490	56.5%
2010	61.56	174^th	499	65.1%
2011	59.33	193^rd	506	61.9%
2012	58.00	167^th	502	66.7%
2013	50.09	145^th	505	71.3%
2014	47.43	175^th	451	61.2%
2015	45.25	215^th	531	59.5%
2016	45.15	194^th	507	61.7%
2017	41.12	237^th	476	50.2%
2018	49.89	215^th	469	54.2%
2019	42.66	265^th	514	48.4%
2021	43.62	317^th	594	46.6%
2022	40.01	354^th	621	43.0%
2023	25.82	470^th	626	24.9%
2024	24.78	487^th	640	23.9%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	32.84	134^th	185	27.6%
2019	19.73	172^nd	195	11.8%
2021	21.00	171^st	199	14.1%
2022	14.55	215^th	226	4.9%
2023	28.74	191^st	249	23.3%
2024	18.92	230^th	261	11.9%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	51.34	55^th	147	62.6%
2019	30.51	136^th	173	21.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	29.12	258^th	349	26.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	41.68	217^th	424	48.8%
2019	36.99	236^th	446	47.1%
2021	48.80	126^th	432	70.8%
2022	41.24	279^th	544	48.7%
2023	22.86	485^th	597	18.8%
2024	20.09	512^th	613	16.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	51.84	214^th	449	52.3%
2019	47.70	220^th	475	53.7%
2021	42.39	236^th	475	50.3%
2022	41.19	346^th	594	41.8%
2023	24.75	454^th	588	22.8%
2024	30.52	431^st	602	28.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	52.45	115^th	349	67.0%
2019	39.94	213^th	364	41.5%
2021	30.87	230^th	334	31.1%
2022	28.44	235^th	330	28.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	55.21	180^th	337	46.6%
2022	41.33	296^th	398	25.6%
2023	18.31	374^th	403	7.2%
2024	23.57	362^nd	403	10.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	44.69	239^th	463	48.4%
2019	35.31	294^th	488	39.8%
2021	43.21	216^th	481	55.1%
2022	37.18	356^th	585	39.1%
2023	25.62	457^th	602	24.1%
2024	20.19	498^th	607	18.0%

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

Rank History for African American students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	60.21	85^th	359	76.3%
2019	33.85	224^th	369	39.3%
2021	40.37	156^th	364	57.1%
2022	34.65	257^th	430	40.2%
2023	28.24	317^th	434	27.0%
2024	27.58	324^th	437	25.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	33.76	226^th	340	33.5%
2019	31.15	244^th	354	31.1%
2021	31.32	239^th	370	35.4%
2022	38.05	254^th	436	41.7%
2023	16.98	409^th	449	8.9%
2024	19.62	395^th	454	13.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Carson High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	35.17	292^nd	427	31.6%
2019	32.25	299^th	444	32.7%
2021	36.63	248^th	439	43.5%
2022	29.77	391^st	534	26.8%
2023	16.74	478^th	537	11.0%
2024	17.07	486^th	553	12.1%

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

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, 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: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Jesse Carson High is making significant strides in all areas. Our arts program, athletic program, and our overall academic program is on the move. We have a great mix of faculty, from veteran staffers to some great young teachers. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Carson High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2007	827	60	19	43	3	n/a	n/a	11	963
2008	904	63	19	49	2	n/a	n/a	19	1056
2009	999	93	19	64	3	n/a	n/a	0	1178
2010	1000	95	14	70	2	n/a	n/a	0	1181
2011	984	73	13	85	3	1	14	0	1173
2012	968	70	12	97	3	2	25	0	1177
2013	947	56	15	113	1	0	24	0	1156
2014	955	56	18	122	3	1	21	0	1176
2015	986	55	15	145	3	2	25	0	1231
2016	984	59	14	161	2	2	31	0	1253
2017	961	64	11	173	2	1	31	0	1243
2018	1030	57	10	190	2	1	38	0	1328
2019	956	59	9	197	1	0	46	0	1268
2020	933	48	6	205	3	0	50	0	1245
2021	876	53	5	207	5	0	46	0	1192
2022	823	56	9	213	4	0	48	0	1153
2023	811	51	10	242	3	0	53	0	1170
2024	749	76	10	248	0	0	52	0	1135

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 Carson High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	963	59.9	16.1	n/a
2008	1056	70.2	15.0	35.1
2009	1178	74.3	15.9	n/a
2010	1181	75.1	15.7	42.4
2011	1173	73.6	15.9	44.8
2012	1177	71.1	16.5	45.8
2013	1156	72.5	15.9	46.4
2014	1176	68.9	17.0	45.2
2015	1231	71.0	17.3	40.3
2016	1253	70.0	17.9	40.7
2017	1243	69.9	17.7	38.6
2018	1328	72.7	18.2	38
2019	1268	72.3	17.5	41.1
2020	1245	71.2	17.4	37
2021	1192	63.9	18.6	24.9
2022	1153	63.2	18.2	34.3
2023	1170	60.7	19.2	48.3
2024	1135	60.5	18.7	98

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 Carson High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	963	59.9	16.1	n/a
2008	1056	70.2	15.0	35.1
2009	1178	74.3	15.9	n/a
2010	1181	75.1	15.7	42.4
2011	1173	73.6	15.9	44.8
2012	1177	71.1	16.5	45.8
2013	1156	72.5	15.9	46.4
2014	1176	68.9	17.0	45.2
2015	1231	71.0	17.3	40.3
2016	1253	70.0	17.9	40.7
2017	1243	69.9	17.7	38.6
2018	1328	72.7	18.2	38
2019	1268	72.3	17.5	41.1
2020	1245	71.2	17.4	37
2021	1192	63.9	18.6	24.9
2022	1153	63.2	18.2	34.3
2023	1170	60.7	19.2	48.3
2024	1135	60.5	18.7	98

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 Carson High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$767 (8.9%)	$7,803 (91.1%)	$8,570

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Carson High

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 265^th of 514 High schools	Ranks 470^th of 626 High schools	23.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Carson High)	60.4	42.9	17.5%
End of Course Biology (Rowan-Salisbury Schools)	45	30.7	14.3%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Carson High)	55.3	44.2	11.1%
End of Course English II (Rowan-Salisbury Schools)	48.7	38.7	10%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Carson High)	33.5	31.5	2%
End of Course Math I (Rowan-Salisbury Schools)	19.2	19.8	0.6%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Carson High)	42.2	36.5	5.7%
End of Course Math III (Rowan-Salisbury Schools)	28.4	28.7	0.3%
End of Course Math III (North Carolina)	46.8	58.3	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1268	1170	7.7%
African American	59	51	13.6%
American Indian	1	3	200%
Asian	9	10	11.1%
Hispanic	197	242	22.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	956	811	15.2%
Two or More Races	46	53	15.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	41.1%	48.3%	7.2%

Schools Near Carson High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)	EOG Reading (2024)		EOG Science (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	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Carson High	Public	9-12	290 Kress Venture Dr	China Grove	28023	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 855-7297	1,135	61	18.7	98.0%	749 (66.0%)	76 (6.7%)	248 (21.9%)	10 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (4.6%)	24.8	487^th of 640 public high schools	23.9%		25.8	470^th of 626 public high schools	24.9%	17	37.5	48.1	32.6	37.1					$8,570	$767	$7,803
South Rowan High	Public	9-12	1655 Patterson St	China Grove	28023	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 857-1161	989	56	17.6	96.6%	631 (63.8%)	77 (7.8%)	225 (22.8%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (4.9%)	11.9	578^th of 640 public high schools	9.7%		11	570^th of 626 public high schools	8.9%	8	27.8	39.4	14.5	25.5					$9,584	$1,002	$8,582
A L Brown High	Public	9-12	415 Martin Luther King Jr Ave	Kannapolis	28083	Cabarrus County	Kannapolis City Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 932-6125	1,776	93	19.1	99.8%	451 (25.4%)	488 (27.5%)	690 (38.9%)	18 (1.0%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	125 (7.0%)	11.2	583^rd of 640 public high schools	8.9%		14.4	543^rd of 626 public high schools	13.3%	40	22.5	39.4	8.2	31.6					$9,314	$705	$8,609
Rowan County Early College	Public	9-12	1333 Jake Alexander Blvd S	Salisbury	28146	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 216-3873	235	9	25.8	97.9%	97 (41.3%)	33 (14.0%)	86 (36.6%)	11 (4.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)	82.8	121^st of 640 public high schools	81.1%		83.5	111^th of 626 public high schools	82.3%	10	73.0	81.3	66.0	88.2					$7,268	$298	$6,970
East Rowan High	Public	9-12	175 St Luke's Church Rd	Salisbury	28146	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 279-5232	1,072	58	18.3	96.4%	783 (73.0%)	126 (11.8%)	101 (9.4%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (5.2%)	31.3	436^th of 640 public high schools	31.9%		29.7	434^th of 626 public high schools	30.7%	2	47.4	53.2	31.0	39.2					$9,575	$985	$8,590
Salisbury High	Public	9-12	500 Lincolnton Rd	Salisbury	28144	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 636-1221	1,014	54	18.8	99.4%	142 (14.0%)	444 (43.8%)	348 (34.3%)	11 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (6.6%)	10.8	587^th of 640 public high schools	8.3%		10.5	576^th of 626 public high schools	8.0%	11	33.6	36.1	11.4	13.4					$11,029	$745	$10,284
Concord High	Public, Magnet	9-12	481 Burrage Road NE	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6000	1,003	63	15.8	99.6%	283 (28.2%)	307 (30.6%)	343 (34.2%)	13 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (5.6%)	28.1	467^th of 640 public high schools	27.0%		26.4	464^th of 626 public high schools	25.9%	3	33.2	47.3	31.2	52.6					$9,116	$520	$8,595
Henderson High	Public	6-12	1215 North Main St	Salisbury	28144	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 639-3134	78	11	7.2	96.2%	28 (35.9%)	33 (42.3%)	10 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (9.0%)								(n/a)					7.1	7.1	7.1	7.1	$25,678	$1,458	$24,220
Northwest Cabarrus High	Public	9-12	5130 NW Cabarrus Drive	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6720	1,168	69	17.0	38.7%	569 (48.7%)	291 (24.9%)	174 (14.9%)	57 (4.9%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	71 (6.1%)	58.9	240^th of 640 public high schools	62.5%		62.3	211^th of 626 public high schools	66.3%	29	57.5	66.1	49.4	66.9					$9,034	$555	$8,479
Cabarrus County Opportunity School	Public	6-12	120 Marsh Avenue NW	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-5800	43	10	4.2	93.0%	9 (20.9%)	23 (53.5%)	8 (18.6%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.7%)								(n/a)									$29,596	$2,369	$27,226

Carson High

Carson High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Rowan-Salisbury Schools:

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Carson High

Rank History for all students at Carson High

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Carson High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Carson High

Rank History for Special Education students at Carson High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Carson High

Rank History for Female students at Carson High

Rank History for Disabled students at Carson High

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Carson High

Rank History for Male students at Carson High

Rank History for African American students at Carson High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Carson High

Rank History for White students at Carson High

Review counts

Enrollment information for Carson High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Carson High

Student/Teacher Ratio Carson High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Carson High

Impact of COVID-19 on Carson High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Carson High

Frequently Asked Questions about Carson High

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