Central High

Summary:

Central High is a public high school located in Memphis, Tennessee, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,312 students. The school has a predominantly African American student population, with 83.31% of students identifying as African American in the 2022-2023 school year. Central High is part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, which is ranked 134 out of 139 districts in Tennessee and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central High's academic performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in various TNReady/EOC assessments, is consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 14.3% of 10th-grade students at Central High were proficient or better in TNReady/Biology I, compared to 21.1% for the district and 36.5% for the state. The school's performance is particularly low in mathematics, with only 6.6% of students proficient or better in Algebra II across all grades in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to 10.4% for the district and 25.6% for the state. Central High has consistently ranked in the bottom third of Tennessee high schools, with a ranking between 211 and 349 out of 374 high schools in the state over the past several years, and has maintained a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is among the lowest-performing schools in the state.

Despite its relatively low performance, Central High is located in close proximity to several higher-performing schools, such as Middle College High, Medical District High School, and Crosstown High School. These schools, which are all within a 2-mile radius of Central High, demonstrate that there are pockets of academic excellence within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district. Additionally, Central High's per-student spending has remained relatively consistent over the past few years, ranging from $10,086 to $10,612 per student, suggesting that resource allocation may not be the primary driver of the school's underperformance.


Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

 306 S Bellevue Blvd
       Memphis, TN  38104-3535


(901) 416-4500

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
324th of 392 Tennessee High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,594 Help


Feeder schools for Central High:

Elementary:    Bruce Elementary
    Idlewild Elementary
    Peabody Elementary
    Rozelle Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Bellevue Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  21.1 Help
Number of students:  1,312

Racial breakdown:

African American:
83.3%
Hispanic:
7.0%
Two or more races:
4.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  77.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Central High ranks worse than 82.7% of high schools in Tennessee. It also ranks 17th among 36 ranked high schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.32. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Central High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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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
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Compare Details Central High has the largest high school student body size in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central High is $12,594. 32 high schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central High:

SchoolDigger ranks Central High 324th of 392 Tennessee public high schools. (See Central High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:


Memphis-Shelby County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Memphis-Shelby County Schools 135th of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Central High

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Rank History for all students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2016 33.16 255th 351 27.4%
2017 27.93 207th 273 24.2%
2018 38.12 211th 341 38.1%
2019 28.20 261st 342 23.7%
2021 26.01 266th 347 23.3%
2022 30.65 258th 358 27.9%
2023 23.95 309th 384 19.5%
2024 20.32 324th 392 17.3%
See the entire list of Tennessee High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.83 83rd 159 47.8%
2021 51.83 36th 125 71.2%
2023 32.64 99th 154 35.7%
2024 46.71 70th 183 61.7%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.81 201st 308 34.7%
2019 36.50 195th 302 35.4%
2021 32.77 224th 317 29.3%
2022 43.42 160th 322 50.3%
2023 40.49 185th 330 43.9%
2024 39.70 200th 337 40.7%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 30.94 252nd 337 25.2%
2021 26.11 264th 340 22.4%
2022 28.17 267th 350 23.7%
2023 21.37 305th 366 16.7%
2024 20.79 301st 365 17.5%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 26.33 14th 17 17.6%
2021 12.14 19th 20 5.0%
2022 35.76 9th 11 18.2%
2023 36.43 8th 11 27.3%
2024 8.33 9th 9 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 27.55 260th 329 21.0%
2021 26.42 259th 332 22.0%
2022 30.91 246th 349 29.5%
2023 26.50 274th 359 23.7%
2024 18.43 312th 366 14.8%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.87 42nd 47 10.6%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.50 55th 199 72.4%
2019 46.63 79th 187 57.8%
2021 41.48 107th 208 48.6%
2022 48.04 83rd 222 62.6%
2023 41.06 118th 239 50.6%
2024 31.89 151st 240 37.1%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.16 72nd 159 54.7%
2019 39.28 87th 153 43.1%
2021 32.71 118th 180 34.4%
2022 30.63 139th 189 26.5%
2023 39.12 112th 202 44.6%
2024 29.27 164th 209 21.5%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.78 41st 307 86.6%
2019 77.14 38th 301 87.4%
2021 66.65 54th 306 82.4%
2022 82.40 23rd 312 92.6%
2023 60.59 84th 325 74.2%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Tennessee 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 Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Central High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2014 115 1374 40 46 4 2 18 0 1599
2015 114 1381 35 64 3 1 37 0 1635
2016 114 1332 39 69 2 0 39 0 1595
2017 121 1372 40 67 1 0 46 0 1647
2018 111 1262 37 72 2 1 45 0 1530
2019 113 1235 39 68 0 1 50 0 1506
2020 93 1183 31 75 1 1 49 0 1433
2021 72 1149 22 78 1 1 71 0 1394
2022 64 1093 17 69 1 0 56 0 1300
2023 54 1093 12 92 0 0 61 0 1312

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

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2014 1599 84.7 18.8 63
2015 1635 76.0 21.5 71
2016 1595 89.0 17.9 77.6
2017 1647 79.5 20.7 n/a
2018 1530 83.2 18.3 n/a
2019 1506 78.6 19.1 n/a
2020 1433 79.2 18.0 n/a
2021 1394 73.5 18.9 n/a
2022 1300 68.4 18.9 n/a
2023 1312 62.0 21.1 n/a

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

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2014 1599 84.7 18.8 63
2015 1635 76.0 21.5 71
2016 1595 89.0 17.9 77.6
2017 1647 79.5 20.7 n/a
2018 1530 83.2 18.3 n/a
2019 1506 78.6 19.1 n/a
2020 1433 79.2 18.0 n/a
2021 1394 73.5 18.9 n/a
2022 1300 68.4 18.9 n/a
2023 1312 62.0 21.1 n/a

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

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $762 (7.2%) $9,442 (89.0%) $10,612
2020 $721 (7.1%) $9,024 (89.3%) $10,107
2021 $1,202 (11.9%) $8,520 (84.5%) $10,086
2022 $2,601 (20.8%) $9,472 (75.6%) $12,526
2023 $2,440 (19.4%) $9,610 (76.3%) $12,594

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Central 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 261st of 342 High schoolsRanks 309th of 384 High schools
 4.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
9th Grade English I (Central High)18.620.3
 1.7%
   9th Grade English I (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)1718.8
 1.8%
   9th Grade English I (Tennessee)33.336
 2.7%
9th Grade Geometry (Central High)5037.5
 12.5%
   9th Grade Geometry (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)49.632.8
 16.8%
   9th Grade Geometry (Tennessee)7972.8
 6.2%
10th Grade Algebra II (Central High)34.75
 29.7%
   10th Grade Algebra II (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)20.312.7
 7.6%
   10th Grade Algebra II (Tennessee)46.747.7
 1%
10th Grade English II (Central High)39.443.6
 4.2%
   10th Grade English II (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)25.837.1
 11.3%
   10th Grade English II (Tennessee)4450.7
 6.7%
10th Grade Geometry (Central High)19.76.1
 13.6%
   10th Grade Geometry (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)14.312.2
 2.1%
   10th Grade Geometry (Tennessee)28.223.8
 4.4%
11th Grade Algebra II (Central High)5.66.9
 1.3%
   11th Grade Algebra II (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)7.38.7
 1.4%
   11th Grade Algebra II (Tennessee)17.716.8
 0.9%
11th Grade Geometry (Central High)14.313.3
 1%
   11th Grade Geometry (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)11.25.6
 5.6%
   11th Grade Geometry (Tennessee)2016
 4%
12th Grade Algebra II (Central High)7.710
 2.3%
   12th Grade Algebra II (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)1.93
 1.1%
   12th Grade Algebra II (Tennessee)4.55.1
 0.6%
All Grades Algebra II (Central High)14.26.6
 7.6%
   All Grades Algebra II (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)12.110.4
 1.7%
   All Grades Algebra II (Tennessee)27.425.6
 1.8%
All Grades English I (Central High)17.920.3
 2.4%
   All Grades English I (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)16.518.5
 2%
   All Grades English I (Tennessee)32.735.4
 2.7%
All Grades English II (Central High)39.142.6
 3.5%
   All Grades English II (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)24.535.6
 11.1%
   All Grades English II (Tennessee)42.749.4
 6.7%
All Grades Geometry (Central High)24.49.1
 15.3%
   All Grades Geometry (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)17.512.9
 4.6%
   All Grades Geometry (Tennessee)33.928.6
 5.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students15061312
 12.9%
African American12351093
 11.5%
American Indian00
Asian3912
 69.2%
Hispanic6892
 35.3%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White11354
 52.2%
Two or More Races5061
 22%


Schools Near Central High









Frequently Asked Questions about Central High

Central High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bruce Elementary
Elementary : Idlewild Elementary
Elementary : Peabody Elementary
Elementary : Rozelle Elementary
Elementary : Snowden Elementary/Middle
Middle : Bellevue Middle

Central High ranks in the bottom 17.3% of Tennessee high schools.

Students at Central High are 83% African American, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% White.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,312 students attended Central High.


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