Is Central High School a good school?

Central High School ranks in the bottom 16.3% of Tennessee high schools.

How many students attend Central High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 691 students attended Central High School.

What is the racial makeup of Central High School?

Students at Central High School are 66% African American, 30% White, 2% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What schools feed into Central High School?

Central High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Bolivar Elementary Elementary : Hornsby Elementary Elementary : Toone Elementary Elementary : Whiteville Elementary Middle : Bolivar Middle School

Central High School

Summary:

Central High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Bolivar, Tennessee, with a student population of 697. The school is part of the Hardeman County Schools district, which is ranked 129 out of 139 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite spending over $10,000 per student, Central High School consistently ranks in the bottom third of Tennessee high schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates on state assessments, is significantly below the state averages across all subject areas and grade levels. Additionally, the school faces large achievement gaps between its African American and White student populations, with the proficiency rate for White students in English II being nearly double that of African American students. Central High School also struggles with low performance for its special education and low-income student populations, ranking in the bottom 3% and bottom 20% of Tennessee high schools, respectively, for these subgroups.

Interestingly, a nearby school in the same district, Middleton High School, performs slightly better than Central High School on state assessments, but still struggles with low proficiency rates compared to the state average. The persistent low rankings and declining performance of Central High School over the past decade suggest the need for a comprehensive, data-driven approach to address the root causes of its challenges and implement effective, evidence-based interventions to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 9-12

313 Harris ST
Bolivar, TN 38008

(731) 658-3151

District: Hardeman County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
328^th of 392 Tennessee High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,922

Feeder schools for Central High School:

Elementary:	Bolivar Elementary
	Hornsby Elementary
	Toone Elementary
	Whiteville Elementary
Middle:	Bolivar Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.5

Number of students: 691

Racial breakdown:

African American:

66.0%

White:

30.1%

Two or more races:

2.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77.9%

See top rated Tennessee high schools

Compare Central High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central High School ranks worse than 83.7% of high schools in Tennessee. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.19. (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: African American (66%), White (30.1%), two or more races (2%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central High School is 14.5. (See more...)

Compare Central High School employs 47.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central High School is $10,922.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Central High School 328^th of 392 Tennessee 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:

African American students:

White students:

Hardeman County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Hardeman County Schools 131^st of 140 Tennessee 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	TN State Percentile
2010	23.34	240^th	267	10.1%
2011	27.47	232^nd	273	15.0%
2012	27.79	234^th	269	13.0%
2013	39.81	225^th	285	21.1%
2014	37.37	227^th	296	23.3%
2015	25.87	274^th	300	8.7%
2016	33.14	256^th	351	27.1%
2017	15.09	260^th	273	4.8%
2018	23.04	281^st	341	17.6%
2019	26.90	268^th	342	21.6%
2021	23.02	279^th	347	19.6%
2022	20.71	294^th	358	17.9%
2023	21.55	320^th	384	16.7%
2024	19.19	328^th	392	16.3%

See the entire list of Tennessee High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	16.87	122^nd	125	2.4%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee 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	TN State Percentile
2018	16.31	289^th	308	6.2%
2019	20.42	265^th	302	12.3%
2021	33.58	219^th	317	30.9%
2022	20.28	275^th	322	14.6%
2023	21.30	280^th	330	15.2%
2024	30.08	250^th	337	25.8%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee 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	TN State Percentile
2019	30.44	254^th	337	24.6%
2021	20.89	282^nd	340	17.1%
2022	15.85	300^th	350	14.3%
2023	21.33	307^th	366	16.1%
2024	17.30	316^th	365	13.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	26.71	263^rd	329	20.1%
2021	26.19	261^st	332	21.4%
2022	24.61	273^rd	349	21.8%
2023	21.31	297^th	359	17.3%
2024	20.78	303^rd	366	17.2%

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

Rank History for African American students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	25.52	157^th	199	21.1%
2019	27.96	143^rd	187	23.5%
2021	24.36	165^th	208	20.7%
2022	22.54	180^th	222	18.9%
2023	17.25	210^th	239	12.1%
2024	21.53	196^th	240	18.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	43.04	164^th	307	46.6%
2019	47.12	139^th	301	53.8%
2021	34.57	207^th	306	32.4%
2022	32.71	228^th	312	26.9%
2023	51.17	133^rd	325	59.1%
2024	36.47	204^th	326	37.4%

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.

Data source: Tennessee 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	319	466	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	791
1989	324	426	5	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	756
1990	304	386	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	694
1991	322	381	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	709
1992	332	393	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	731
1993	360	437	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	801
1994	327	478	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	811
1995	314	379	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	100	794
1996	314	379	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	100	794
1997	293	419	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	-13	704
1998	300	350	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	1	654
1999	361	521	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	1	886
2000	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	904	904
2001	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	812	812
2002	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	888	888
2003	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	888	888
2004	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	907	907
2005	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	908	908
2006	330	568	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	907
2007	324	565	2	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	897
2008	334	564	9	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	916
2009	325	545	12	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	889
2010	296	529	12	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	844
2011	286	496	10	7	0	1	1	0	801
2012	298	470	10	10	0	2	3	0	793
2013	295	478	7	13	0	0	7	0	800
2014	288	471	7	13	1	1	4	0	785
2015	296	494	8	16	0	0	6	0	820
2016	274	491	9	12	0	0	7	0	793
2017	301	468	5	14	0	0	6	0	794
2018	294	470	4	16	0	0	8	0	792
2019	264	423	3	10	0	2	5	0	707
2020	257	403	5	8	0	2	9	0	684
2021	259	394	2	10	0	2	12	0	679
2022	259	391	3	9	0	2	11	0	675
2023	244	428	4	8	0	0	13	0	697
2024	208	456	2	11	0	0	14	0	691

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	791	38.0	20.8	n/a
1989	756	38.0	19.8	n/a
1990	694	38.0	18.2	n/a
1991	709	44.0	16.1	n/a
1992	731	44.0	16.6	n/a
1993	801	44.0	18.2	n/a
1994	811	48.0	16.9	n/a
1995	794	48.0	16.5	n/a
1996	794	48.0	16.5	n/a
1997	704	n/a	0.0	n/a
1998	654	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	886	n/a	0.0	n/a
2000	904	n/a	0.0	n/a
2001	812	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	888	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	888	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	907	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	908	n/a	n/a	n/a
2006	907	52.0	17.4	n/a
2007	897	61.0	14.7	61.5
2008	916	60.0	15.3	64.8
2009	889	57.6	15.4	63
2010	844	63.0	13.4	70.4
2011	801	59.5	13.4	71.8
2012	793	61.3	12.9	69.1
2013	800	57.6	13.8	78
2014	785	56.9	13.7	75.2
2015	820	56.0	14.6	74.8
2016	793	52.0	15.2	77.9
2017	794	52.7	15.0	n/a
2018	792	54.5	14.5	n/a
2019	707	54.3	13.0	n/a
2020	684	52.1	13.1	n/a
2021	679	49.6	13.6	n/a
2022	675	49.3	13.6	n/a
2023	697	44.8	15.5	n/a
2024	691	47.3	14.5	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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	791	38.0	20.8	n/a
1989	756	38.0	19.8	n/a
1990	694	38.0	18.2	n/a
1991	709	44.0	16.1	n/a
1992	731	44.0	16.6	n/a
1993	801	44.0	18.2	n/a
1994	811	48.0	16.9	n/a
1995	794	48.0	16.5	n/a
1996	794	48.0	16.5	n/a
1997	704	n/a	0.0	n/a
1998	654	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	886	n/a	0.0	n/a
2000	904	n/a	0.0	n/a
2001	812	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	888	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	888	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	907	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	908	n/a	n/a	n/a
2006	907	52.0	17.4	n/a
2007	897	61.0	14.7	61.5
2008	916	60.0	15.3	64.8
2009	889	57.6	15.4	63
2010	844	63.0	13.4	70.4
2011	801	59.5	13.4	71.8
2012	793	61.3	12.9	69.1
2013	800	57.6	13.8	78
2014	785	56.9	13.7	75.2
2015	820	56.0	14.6	74.8
2016	793	52.0	15.2	77.9
2017	794	52.7	15.0	n/a
2018	792	54.5	14.5	n/a
2019	707	54.3	13.0	n/a
2020	684	52.1	13.1	n/a
2021	679	49.6	13.6	n/a
2022	675	49.3	13.6	n/a
2023	697	44.8	15.5	n/a
2024	691	47.3	14.5	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 School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$775 (7.8%)	$8,707 (87.3%)	$9,977
2020	$705 (6.7%)	$9,278 (88.6%)	$10,469
2021	$1,156 (11.1%)	$8,922 (85.6%)	$10,425
2022	$1,658 (14.9%)	$8,981 (80.9%)	$11,106
2023	$2,224 (20.4%)	$8,217 (75.2%)	$10,922

Data source: Tennessee 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 268^th of 342 High schools	Ranks 320^th of 384 High schools	5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade Algebra I (Central High School)	15.2	12.3	2.9%
9th Grade Algebra I (Hardeman County Schools)	10.6	9.3	1.3%
9th Grade Algebra I (Tennessee)	21.8	17.8	4%
9th Grade English I (Central High School)	17.8	19.3	1.5%
9th Grade English I (Hardeman County Schools)	17.7	19.2	1.5%
9th Grade English I (Tennessee)	33.3	36	2.7%
10th Grade English II (Central High School)	27	32.3	5.3%
10th Grade English II (Hardeman County Schools)	28.2	37.3	9.1%
10th Grade English II (Tennessee)	44	50.7	6.7%
10th Grade Geometry (Central High School)	30.9	19.2	11.7%
10th Grade Geometry (Hardeman County Schools)	24.9	15.4	9.5%
10th Grade Geometry (Tennessee)	28.2	23.8	4.4%
11th Grade Algebra II (Central High School)	7.9	9.8	1.9%
11th Grade Algebra II (Hardeman County Schools)	7.7	6.9	0.8%
11th Grade Algebra II (Tennessee)	17.7	16.8	0.9%
11th Grade US History (Central High School)	9.1	13.4	4.3%
11th Grade US History (Hardeman County Schools)	8.5	16	7.5%
11th Grade US History (Tennessee)	29.6	39.7	10.1%
All Grades Algebra I (Central High School)	13.9	11.1	2.8%
All Grades Algebra I (Hardeman County Schools)	9.4	8.5	0.9%
All Grades Algebra I (Tennessee)	27.4	23.2	4.2%
All Grades Algebra II (Central High School)	21.6	8.6	13%
All Grades Algebra II (Hardeman County Schools)	17.2	6.6	10.6%
All Grades Algebra II (Tennessee)	27.4	25.6	1.8%
All Grades US History (Central High School)	8.6	12.4	3.8%
All Grades US History (Hardeman County Schools)	8	15.3	7.3%
All Grades US History (Tennessee)	28.6	38.5	9.9%
All Grades English I (Central High School)	17.1	18.5	1.4%
All Grades English I (Hardeman County Schools)	17.1	18.5	1.4%
All Grades English I (Tennessee)	32.7	35.4	2.7%
All Grades English II (Central High School)	25.4	30.9	5.5%
All Grades English II (Hardeman County Schools)	26.8	35.9	9.1%
All Grades English II (Tennessee)	42.7	49.4	6.7%
All Grades Geometry (Central High School)	26.7	16.7	10%
All Grades Geometry (Hardeman County Schools)	22	13.8	8.2%
All Grades Geometry (Tennessee)	33.9	28.6	5.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	707	697	1.4%
African American	423	428	1.2%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	3	4	33.3%
Hispanic	10	8	20%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	264	244	7.6%
Two or More Races	5	13	160%

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)				TNReady Mathematics (2024)			TNReady English Language Arts (2024)			TNReady Algebra I (2024)		TNReady Algebra II (2024)		TNReady Biology I (2024)		TNReady US History (2024)		TNReady English I (2024)		TNReady English II (2024)		TNReady Geometry (2024)		TNReady Science (2024)			TNReady 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	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 9th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Algebra II 11th Grade	TNReady Algebra II All Grades	TNReady Biology I 10th Grade	TNReady Biology I All Grades	TNReady US History 11th Grade	TNReady US History All Grades	TNReady English I 9th Grade	TNReady English I All Grades	TNReady English II 10th Grade	TNReady English II All Grades	TNReady Geometry 10th Grade	TNReady Geometry All Grades	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central High School	Public	9-12	313 Harris ST	Bolivar	38008	Hardeman County	Hardeman County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 658-3151	691	47	14.5		208 (30.1%)	456 (66.0%)	11 (1.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.0%)	19.2	328^th of 392 public high schools	16.3%		21.5	320^th of 384 public high schools	16.7%	8							14.5	13.3	8.8	8.0	14.2	13.0	16.8	15.3	17.6	17.6	32.7	30.3	21.3	18.0							$10,922	$2,224	$8,217
Middleton High School	Public	7-12	138 Florida AVE	Middleton	38052	Hardeman County	Hardeman County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 376-8391	394	32	12.5		224 (56.9%)	142 (36.0%)	15 (3.8%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	15.4	340^th of 392 public high schools	13.3%		27.9	287^th of 384 public high schools	25.3%	53	12.5	19.4	16.4	14.3	8.3	10.9			5.3	5.2	21.6	22.4	16.3	16.3	14.9	14.9	32.1	30.5			30.4	23.6	26.6	19.6	12.5	15.6	$12,943	$2,108	$10,098

Central High School

Central High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Hardeman County Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Central High School

Rank History for all students at Central High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Central High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central High School

Rank History for Female students at Central High School

Rank History for Male students at Central High School

Rank History for African American students at Central High School

Rank History for White students at Central High School

Enrollment information for Central High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Central High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Central High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Central High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Central High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Central High School