Central High School

Public 9-12

70 Fricker Street
Providence, RI 02903

(401) 456-9111

District: Providence

SchoolDigger Rank:
58^th of 61 Rhode Island High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,074

Student/teacher ratio: 16.4

Number of students: 1,302

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

76.7%

African American:

11.7%

Asian:

4.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 86.9%

See top rated Rhode Island high schools

Compare Central High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central High School ranks worse than 95.1% of high schools in Rhode Island. It also ranks 8^th among 10 ranked high schools in the Providence School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.85. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Central High School has the largest high school student body size in the Providence School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (76.7%), African American (11.7%), Asian (4.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 86.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Providence School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central High School is 16.4. 8 high schools in the Providence School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Central High School employs 79 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central High School is $15,074. 5 high schools in the Providence School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Central High School 58^th of 61 Rhode Island public high schools. (See Central High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Providence:

SchoolDigger ranks Providence 48^th of 60 Rhode Island school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail 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	RI State Percentile
2009	6.02	47^th	49	4.1%
2010	9.22	46^th	50	8.0%
2011	9.53	40^th	45	11.1%
2012	7.40	42^nd	45	6.7%
2013	9.07	41^st	45	8.9%
2014	6.71	44^th	47	6.4%
2015	23.05	47^th	56	16.1%
2016	30.93	42^nd	57	26.3%
2017	16.76	51^st	56	8.9%
2018	9.90	51^st	57	10.5%
2019	9.77	51^st	59	13.6%
2021	8.98	53^rd	59	10.2%
2022	10.20	51^st	59	13.6%
2023	5.15	59^th	60	1.7%
2024	6.85	58^th	61	4.9%

See the entire list of Rhode Island 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	RI State Percentile
2022	11.94	49^th	54	9.3%
2023	6.79	57^th	58	1.7%
2024	8.60	55^th	58	5.2%

See the entire list of Best Rhode Island 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	RI State Percentile
2022	10.71	51^st	58	12.1%
2023	6.87	57^th	59	3.4%
2024	5.68	55^th	56	1.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	RI State Percentile
2022	8.14	52^nd	54	3.7%
2023	4.47	56^th	56	0.0%
2024	6.78	55^th	57	3.5%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	RI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	4.95	10^th	10	0.0%
2024	5.53	11^th	11	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Rhode Island High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	RI State Percentile
2022	22.36	22^nd	28	21.4%
2023	17.97	25^th	26	3.8%
2024	14.34	27^th	28	3.6%

See the entire list of Best Rhode Island 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	RI State Percentile
2022	17.38	44^th	49	10.2%
2023	8.40	53^rd	53	0.0%
2024	9.33	52^nd	54	3.7%

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

Data source: test scores: Rhode Island 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: Rhode Island Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Wednesday, June 3, 2009

As a student at Central High School, I would have to say i like this school. Since they have renovated the building the school looks like an actual school.(Had to be at Central previous to the renovation to know what i am talking about) The teachers a cool and most are funny and are there to help you. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Central High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	664	497	231	539	6	n/a	n/a	0	1937
1989	578	464	271	564	7	n/a	n/a	0	1884
1990	528	474	306	597	7	n/a	n/a	0	1912
1991	390	409	239	579	5	n/a	n/a	0	1622
1992	352	426	202	668	4	n/a	n/a	0	1652
1993	355	474	186	772	5	n/a	n/a	0	1792
1994	300	443	184	836	8	n/a	n/a	0	1771
1995	275	399	220	976	11	n/a	n/a	0	1881
1996	275	399	220	976	11	n/a	n/a	0	1881
1997	306	434	277	987	16	n/a	n/a	-1	2019
1998	213	384	282	1011	9	n/a	n/a	0	1899
1999	173	362	223	972	8	n/a	n/a	0	1738
2000	169	358	225	954	10	n/a	n/a	0	1716
2001	144	358	211	909	16	n/a	n/a	0	1638
2002	168	411	210	884	21	n/a	n/a	0	1694
2003	168	411	210	884	21	n/a	n/a	0	1694
2004	132	382	209	913	15	n/a	n/a	0	1651
2005	141	331	200	952	12	n/a	n/a	0	1636
2006	125	331	163	1016	12	n/a	n/a	0	1647
2007	88	275	143	883	9	n/a	n/a	0	1398
2008	77	247	119	781	12	n/a	n/a	0	1236
2009	67	241	106	753	10	n/a	n/a	0	1177
2010	67	234	104	792	7	n/a	n/a	0	1204
2011	36	214	99	780	6	1	25	0	1161
2012	36	181	92	764	4	1	29	0	1107
2013	36	173	86	775	8	1	22	0	1101
2014	53	179	90	763	12	0	15	0	1112
2015	52	152	91	768	10	2	12	0	1087
2016	50	161	73	759	7	2	13	0	1065
2017	60	167	68	778	7	2	16	0	1098
2018	61	177	72	872	8	5	26	0	1221
2019	40	179	63	881	7	2	31	0	1203
2020	44	173	66	877	7	0	48	0	1215
2021	44	177	62	863	11	1	42	0	1200
2022	38	166	49	820	10	1	38	0	1122
2023	39	152	59	999	6	1	30	16	1302

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	1937	n/a	n/a	18.7
1989	1884	n/a	n/a	21.2
1990	1912	n/a	n/a	25.9
1991	1622	103.9	15.6	25.6
1992	1652	99.0	16.6	30.2
1993	1792	110.2	16.3	27.8
1994	1771	103.0	17.2	35.3
1995	1881	114.0	16.5	28.5
1996	1881	114.0	16.5	28.5
1997	2019	136.2	14.8	37.6
1998	1899	126.8	15.0	28.6
1999	1738	129.5	13.4	33.1
2000	1716	123.0	14.0	37.6
2001	1638	108.4	15.1	55.9
2002	1694	n/a	n/a	58.9
2003	1694	n/a	n/a	58.9
2004	1651	104.0	15.9	79.3
2005	1636	120.0	13.6	62.5
2006	1647	125.0	13.2	71.1
2007	1398	91.0	15.4	60.8
2008	1236	72.0	17.2	81.1
2009	1177	78.2	12.5	85.8
2010	1204	75.8	15.8	84.5
2011	1161	77.6	14.9	80
2012	1107	70.0	15.8	82.1
2013	1101	66.5	16.5	83.7
2014	1112	68.0	16.3	81.8
2015	1087	71.0	15.3	78
2016	1065	85.0	12.5	77.8
2017	1098	79.0	13.8	91.5
2018	1221	88.5	13.7	91.8
2019	1203	89.0	13.5	88.2
2020	1215	83.5	14.5	88.7
2021	1200	86.8	13.8	86.1
2022	1122	77.3	14.5	90.6
2023	1302	79.0	16.4	86.9

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	1937	n/a	n/a	18.7
1989	1884	n/a	n/a	21.2
1990	1912	n/a	n/a	25.9
1991	1622	103.9	15.6	25.6
1992	1652	99.0	16.6	30.2
1993	1792	110.2	16.3	27.8
1994	1771	103.0	17.2	35.3
1995	1881	114.0	16.5	28.5
1996	1881	114.0	16.5	28.5
1997	2019	136.2	14.8	37.6
1998	1899	126.8	15.0	28.6
1999	1738	129.5	13.4	33.1
2000	1716	123.0	14.0	37.6
2001	1638	108.4	15.1	55.9
2002	1694	n/a	n/a	58.9
2003	1694	n/a	n/a	58.9
2004	1651	104.0	15.9	79.3
2005	1636	120.0	13.6	62.5
2006	1647	125.0	13.2	71.1
2007	1398	91.0	15.4	60.8
2008	1236	72.0	17.2	81.1
2009	1177	78.2	12.5	85.8
2010	1204	75.8	15.8	84.5
2011	1161	77.6	14.9	80
2012	1107	70.0	15.8	82.1
2013	1101	66.5	16.5	83.7
2014	1112	68.0	16.3	81.8
2015	1087	71.0	15.3	78
2016	1065	85.0	12.5	77.8
2017	1098	79.0	13.8	91.5
2018	1221	88.5	13.7	91.8
2019	1203	89.0	13.5	88.2
2020	1215	83.5	14.5	88.7
2021	1200	86.8	13.8	86.1
2022	1122	77.3	14.5	90.6
2023	1302	79.0	16.4	86.9

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)
2018	$633 (4.4%)	$13,753 (95.6%)	$14,386
2019	$552 (3.9%)	$13,585 (96.1%)	$14,138
2020	$640 (4.8%)	$12,739 (95.2%)	$13,379
2021	$866 (5.7%)	$14,207 (94.2%)	$15,074

Data source: Rhode Island 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 51^st of 59 High schools	Ranks 59^th of 60 High schools	11.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Central High School)	25.8	16.3	9.5%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Providence)	37.9	37.2	0.7%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)	60.1	55.3	4.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Central High School)	12.5	9.4	3.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Providence)	25.5	27.6	2.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)	50.5	49.1	1.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1203	1302	8.2%
African American	179	152	15.1%
American Indian	7	6	14.3%
Asian	63	59	6.3%
Hispanic	881	999	13.4%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	40	39	2.5%
Two or More Races	31	30	3.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	88.2%	86.9%	1.3%

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)				PSAT10 English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2024)	SAT English Language Arts (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	NGSA Science (2024)	RICAS English Language Arts (2024)		RICAS Mathematics (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	PSAT10 English Language Arts 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	NGSA Science All Grades	RICAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	RICAS English Language Arts All Grades	RICAS Mathematics 8th Grade	RICAS Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central High School	Public	9-12	70 Fricker Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9111	1,302	79	16.4	86.9%	39 (3.0%)	152 (11.7%)	999 (76.7%)	59 (4.5%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (2.3%)	6.8	58^th of 61 public high schools	4.9%		5.1	59^th of 60 public high schools	1.7%	1	17.7		13.2							$15,074	$866	$14,207
Newcomer Academy	Public	9-12	91 Fricker Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(401) 455-3406	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Classical High School	Public	9-12	770 Westminster Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9145	1,113	64	17.3	58.3%	221 (19.9%)	193 (17.3%)	533 (47.9%)	100 (9.0%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (4.7%)	95.9	3^rd of 61 public high schools	95.1%		93.3	3^rd of 60 public high schools	95.0%			73.2	88.8	60.1	52.9					$12,489	$511	$11,978
Providence Career Technical	Public	9-12	41 Fricker street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9136	646	71	9.1	86.2%	31 (4.8%)	71 (11.0%)	500 (77.4%)	20 (3.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.1%)	17	45^th of 61 public high schools	26.2%		15.7	45^th of 60 public high schools	25.0%		35.9	6.7	24.2	11.5	15.0					$21,581	$1,793	$19,788
Charette Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	335 Westminster St.	Providence	02903	Providence County	Charette Charter	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 270-1183	167	9	18.7	94.6%	1 (0.6%)	50 (29.9%)	114 (68.3%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	8.7	55^th of 61 public high schools	9.8%		9.1	52^nd of 60 public high schools	13.3%	3	22.9		14.3							$12,034	$2,750	$9,284
RINI Middle College	Public, Charter	9-12	150 Washington Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 680-4900	370	30	12.3	85.9%	14 (3.8%)	83 (22.4%)	248 (67.0%)	4 (1.1%)	6 (1.6%)	2 (0.5%)	13 (3.5%)	15.8	46^th of 61 public high schools	24.6%		19.5	41^st of 60 public high schools	31.7%	5	31.5	5.5	26.9		15.6					$14,636	$2,826	$11,810
Sheila Skip Nowell	Public, Charter	9-12	150 Washington Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 751-0405	160	12	13.3	99.4%	17 (10.6%)	29 (18.1%)	101 (63.1%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	9 (5.6%)	5.5	61^st of 61 public high schools	0.0%		8.6	54^th of 60 public high schools	10.0%	7	16.2		10.3							$13,417	$2,214	$11,203
Trinity Academy Performing Art	Public, Charter	7-12	275 Westminster Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 432-7881	205	21	9.7	84.9%	11 (5.4%)	36 (17.6%)	151 (73.7%)	3 (1.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	28.9	37^th of 61 public high schools	39.3%		16.4	44^th of 60 public high schools	26.7%	7	48.7	15.4	53.8		6.9	8.6	6.7	11.4	5.3	$11,502	$1,052	$10,450
YouthBuild Preparatory Academy	Public	9-12	217 Westminister Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	YouthBuild Preparatory Academy	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(401) 273-7528	38			92.1%	1 (2.6%)	11 (28.9%)	25 (65.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)	11.3	51^st of 61 public high schools	16.4%		6.9	57^th of 60 public high schools	5.0%	6	33.3		6.7
Village Green Virtual	Public, Virtual, Charter	9-12	135 Weybosset Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Village Green Virtual	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	Yes	(401) 831-2878	202	15	13.6	88.1%	3 (1.5%)	69 (34.2%)	123 (60.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.5%)	20.9	41^st of 61 public high schools	32.8%		23.5	39^th of 60 public high schools	35.0%	2	42.0		18.0							$14,776	$2,515	$12,262

Frequently Asked Questions about Central High School

What is the racial makeup of Central High School?

Students at Central High School are 77% Hispanic, 12% African American, 5% Asian, 3% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Not Specified.

How many students attend Central High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,302 students attended Central High School.

Is Central High School a good school?

Central High School ranks in the bottom 4.9% of Rhode Island high schools.

What schools feed into Central High School?

What district is Central High School in?

Providence

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