Is Sussex Central High a good school?

Sussex Central High ranks 145 th of 329 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sussex Central High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 321 students attended Sussex Central High.

What is the racial makeup of Sussex Central High?

Students at Sussex Central High are 74% African American, 17% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Sussex Central High?

Sussex Central High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Sussex Central Elementary Middle : Sussex Central Middle

Sussex Central High

Summary:

Sussex Central High is a public high school in Sussex, Virginia, serving 319 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Sussex County Public Schools district, which is ranked 76 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One of the key strengths of Sussex Central High is its exceptional performance for specific student subgroups. The school has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (70.22%) compared to nearby Prince George High (31.96%) and Southampton High (39.79%), and it has performed exceptionally well for its African American and low socioeconomic status student subgroups, ranking in the top 52 and 94 out of 249 and 320 Virginia high schools, respectively, in the 2023-2024 school year. Additionally, the school has shown strong performance in several subject areas, outperforming the state and district averages, with 91.18% proficiency in Algebra I, 92.31% in Algebra II, and 91.43% in Biology.

While Sussex Central High has demonstrated consistent improvement in its statewide ranking, from a 1-star rating in 2013-2014 to a 3-star rating in 2023-2024, the school also faces some challenges. Its test scores have shown fluctuations over the years, and it has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 91.03% to 101.25% over the past three school years. Compared to the nearby Prince George County Public Schools and Southampton County Public Schools districts, Sussex Central High has its own unique strengths and areas for improvement, but its commitment to supporting its diverse student population is evident in its strong performance for specific subgroups.

Detail:

Public 9-12

21394 Sussex Drive
Sussex, VA 23890-0307

(434) 246-6051

District: Sussex County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
145^th of 329 Virginia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $2,973

Feeder schools for Sussex Central High:

Elementary:	Sussex Central Elementary
Middle:	Sussex Central Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 10.1

Number of students: 321

Racial breakdown:

African American:

74.1%

White:

16.5%

Hispanic:

4.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100.6%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare Sussex Central High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sussex Central High ranks better than 55.9% of high schools in Virginia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.54. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Sussex Central High 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 (74.1%), White (16.5%), Hispanic (4.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sussex Central High is 10.1. (See more...)

Compare Sussex Central High employs 31.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sussex Central High is $2,973.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sussex Central High:

SchoolDigger ranks Sussex Central High 145^th of 329 Virginia public high schools. (See Sussex Central High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Sussex County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Sussex County Public Schools 76^th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Sussex Central High?

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Rank History for Sussex Central High

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Rank History for all students at Sussex Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile
2005	32.25	263^rd	308	14.6%
2006	30.40	260^th	314	17.2%
2007	21.55	293^rd	313	6.4%
2008	35.05	239^th	316	24.4%
2009	24.17	289^th	313	7.7%
2010	16.99	304^th	317	4.1%
2011	19.22	300^th	320	6.3%
2012	18.31	298^th	321	7.2%
2013	17.31	303^rd	321	5.6%
2014	25.17	281^st	322	12.7%
2015	41.18	202^nd	322	37.3%
2016	50.98	145^th	321	54.8%
2017	35.82	238^th	324	26.5%
2018	25.71	287^th	326	12.0%
2019	32.91	264^th	327	19.3%
2021	43.08	175^th	327	46.5%
2022	41.30	211^th	325	35.1%
2023	52.41	178^th	326	45.4%
2024	59.54	145^th	329	55.9%

See the entire list of Virginia High School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	64.57	94^th	320	70.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sussex Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	60.60	136^th	320	57.5%
2024	70.43	80^th	322	75.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Sussex Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	62.41	87^th	253	65.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sussex Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	43.30	215^th	321	33.0%
2024	41.25	224^th	322	30.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Sussex Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	67.69	64^th	240	73.3%
2024	71.06	52^nd	249	79.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Sussex Central High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	45.07	210^th	315	33.3%
2024	43.90	220^th	314	29.9%

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

Data source: test scores: Virginia 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: Virginia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Sussex Central High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	382	382
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	355	355
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	572	572
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	575	575
1993	114	400	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	514
1994	123	425	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	548
1995	89	339	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	428
1996	89	339	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	428
1997	80	333	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	413
1998	85	313	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	398
1999	84	297	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	381
2000	95	283	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	-4	374
2001	96	292	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	389
2002	85	286	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	375
2003	85	286	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	375
2004	75	294	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	373
2005	74	348	0	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	429
2006	93	382	2	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	483
2007	95	390	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	2	493
2008	90	359	4	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	460
2009	79	318	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	1	408
2010	107	393	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	1	509
2011	112	363	0	8	0	0	1	0	484
2012	98	333	4	6	0	0	2	0	443
2013	96	311	3	12	0	0	1	0	423
2014	78	250	3	10	0	0	0	0	341
2015	72	260	3	13	0	0	0	0	348
2016	73	250	2	11	0	0	0	0	336
2017	72	261	1	8	0	0	0	0	342
2018	73	235	0	7	0	0	1	0	316
2019	64	236	0	11	0	0	3	0	314
2020	73	231	0	11	0	0	6	0	321
2021	60	220	1	12	0	0	10	0	303
2022	55	224	2	18	1	0	12	0	312
2023	60	224	2	18	1	1	13	0	319
2024	53	238	3	14	0	1	12	0	321

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 Sussex Central High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	382	28.1	13.5	n/a
1990	355	21.4	16.5	n/a
1991	572	32.5	17.6	n/a
1992	575	33.1	17.3	n/a
1993	514	36.4	14.1	n/a
1994	548	41.5	n/a	47.4
1995	428	n/a	0.0	94.9
1996	428	n/a	0.0	94.9
1997	413	n/a	0.0	94.9
1998	398	n/a	0.0	95
1999	381	30.0	12.7	94.8
2000	374	n/a	0.0	98.1
2001	389	28.7	13.6	99.2
2002	375	45.3	8.3	54.9
2003	375	45.3	8.3	54.9
2004	373	39.3	9.5	54.7
2005	429	40.3	10.6	62.5
2006	483	39.0	12.4	62.5
2007	493	31.8	15.5	62.1
2008	460	30.3	15.2	62.2
2009	408	31.1	13.2	66.1
2010	509	37.2	13.6	70.1
2011	484	33.1	14.5	72.3
2012	443	39.0	11.3	75.4
2013	423	39.8	10.6	73.5
2014	341	33.2	10.2	76
2015	348	33.0	10.5	77.3
2016	336	32.0	10.5	78
2017	342	30.7	11.1	79.5
2018	316	33.2	9.4	81
2019	314	29.1	10.7	88.5
2020	321	34.6	9.2	88.5
2021	303	35.8	8.4	n/a
2022	312	34.8	8.9	91
2023	319	32.5	9.8	101.3
2024	321	31.5	10.1	100.6

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 Sussex Central High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	382	28.1	13.5	n/a
1990	355	21.4	16.5	n/a
1991	572	32.5	17.6	n/a
1992	575	33.1	17.3	n/a
1993	514	36.4	14.1	n/a
1994	548	41.5	n/a	47.4
1995	428	n/a	0.0	94.9
1996	428	n/a	0.0	94.9
1997	413	n/a	0.0	94.9
1998	398	n/a	0.0	95
1999	381	30.0	12.7	94.8
2000	374	n/a	0.0	98.1
2001	389	28.7	13.6	99.2
2002	375	45.3	8.3	54.9
2003	375	45.3	8.3	54.9
2004	373	39.3	9.5	54.7
2005	429	40.3	10.6	62.5
2006	483	39.0	12.4	62.5
2007	493	31.8	15.5	62.1
2008	460	30.3	15.2	62.2
2009	408	31.1	13.2	66.1
2010	509	37.2	13.6	70.1
2011	484	33.1	14.5	72.3
2012	443	39.0	11.3	75.4
2013	423	39.8	10.6	73.5
2014	341	33.2	10.2	76
2015	348	33.0	10.5	77.3
2016	336	32.0	10.5	78
2017	342	30.7	11.1	79.5
2018	316	33.2	9.4	81
2019	314	29.1	10.7	88.5
2020	321	34.6	9.2	88.5
2021	303	35.8	8.4	n/a
2022	312	34.8	8.9	91
2023	319	32.5	9.8	101.3
2024	321	31.5	10.1	100.6

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 Sussex Central High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$00 (0.0%)	$684 (100.0%)	$684
2020	$494 (27.6%)	$1,299 (72.4%)	$1,793
2021	$628 (21.1%)	$2,345 (78.9%)	$2,973

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sussex 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 264^th of 327 High schools	Ranks 178^th of 326 High schools	26.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Writing (Sussex Central High)	79	68	11%
End of Course Writing (Sussex County Public Schools)	79	68	11%
End of Course Writing (Virginia)	81	74	7%
End of Course Geometry (Sussex Central High)	68	43	25%
End of Course Geometry (Sussex County Public Schools)	68	43	25%
End of Course Geometry (Virginia)	83	80	3%
End of Course Algebra I (Sussex Central High)	74	69	5%
End of Course Algebra I (Sussex County Public Schools)	84	76	8%
End of Course Algebra I (Virginia)	86	80	6%
End of Course Algebra II (Sussex Central High)	74	55	19%
End of Course Algebra II (Sussex County Public Schools)	74	55	19%
End of Course Algebra II (Virginia)	91	86	5%
End of Course Chemistry (Sussex Central High)	85	60	25%
End of Course Chemistry (Virginia)	88	64	24%
End of Course Biology (Sussex Central High)	71	59	12%
End of Course Biology (Sussex County Public Schools)	71	59	12%
End of Course Biology (Virginia)	83	70	13%
End of Course Earth Science (Sussex Central High)	72	61	11%
End of Course Earth Science (Sussex County Public Schools)	71	61	10%
End of Course Earth Science (Virginia)	81	72	9%
End of Course English Reading (Sussex Central High)	84	90	6%
End of Course English Reading (Sussex County Public Schools)	84	90	6%
End of Course English Reading (Virginia)	86	85	1%
End of Course VA and US History (Sussex Central High)	62	42	20%
End of Course VA and US History (Sussex County Public Schools)	62	42	20%
End of Course VA and US History (Virginia)	68	38	30%
End of Course World History I (Sussex Central High)	80	71	9%
End of Course World History I (Sussex County Public Schools)	80	71	9%
End of Course World History I (Virginia)	80	66	14%
End of Course World History II (Sussex Central High)	76	68	8%
End of Course World History II (Sussex County Public Schools)	76	68	8%
End of Course World History II (Virginia)	81	48	33%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	314	319	1.6%
African American	236	224	5.1%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	11	18	63.6%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	64	60	6.3%
Two or More Races	3	13	333.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	88.5%	101.3%	12.7%

Schools Near Sussex Central High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SOL Writing (2024)			SOL Geometry (2024)	SOL Algebra I (2024)				SOL Algebra II (2024)	SOL Biology (2024)				SOL Earth Science (2024)			SOL English Reading (2024)	SOL Geography (2024)	SOL VA and US History (2024)		SOL World History I (2024)		SOL World History II (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	SOL Writing 10th Grade	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Writing 12th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 11th Grade	SOL Algebra I 12th Grade	SOL Algebra II 9th Grade	SOL Biology 9th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Biology 11th Grade	SOL Biology 12th Grade	SOL Earth Science 9th Grade	SOL Earth Science 10th Grade	SOL Earth Science 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL Geography 9th Grade	SOL VA and US History 11th Grade	SOL VA and US History 12th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History I 10th Grade	SOL World History II 10th Grade	SOL World History II 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sussex Central High	Public	9-12	21394 Sussex Drive	Sussex	23890	Sussex County	Sussex County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 246-6051	321	32	10.1	100.6%	53 (16.5%)	238 (74.1%)	14 (4.4%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.7%)	59.5	145^th of 329 public high schools	55.9%		52.4	178^th of 326 public high schools	45.4%	33		75.0	78.6		91.2				92.3	71.4	91.4			80.0	60.0	80.0	85.9		64.3		72.8				$2,973	$628	$2,345
Southampton High	Public	9-12	23350 Southampton Pkwy	Courtland	23837	Southampton County	Southampton County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 653-2751	752	48	15.5	74.7%	398 (52.9%)	314 (41.8%)	13 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.3%)	36.2	257^th of 329 public high schools	21.9%		40.6	239^th of 326 public high schools	26.7%	18		71.1	53.1	65.0	86.7	81.8				74.6	67.1			58.8	52.2	52.4	83.7	32.8	23.6		56.1	21.2	15.4		$7,611	$346	$7,265
Prince George High	Public	9-12	7801 Laurel Spring Rd	Prince George	23875	Prince George County	Prince George County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 733-2720	1,817	91	19.9	26.6%	834 (45.9%)	575 (31.6%)	239 (13.2%)	26 (1.4%)	6 (0.3%)	16 (0.9%)	121 (6.7%)	45.9	223^rd of 329 public high schools	32.2%		61.7	143^rd of 326 public high schools	56.1%	80	64.3	76.9		91.8	76.5	90.5	87.5	89.5	95.7	91.3	77.7	58.8	85.0	59.3	38.9		78.8		34.6	69.2	71.8		25.4	60.0	$7,317	$693	$6,624

Sussex Central High

Sussex Central High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Sussex County Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Sussex Central High

Rank History for all students at Sussex Central High

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

Rank History for Female students at Sussex Central High

Rank History for Disabled students at Sussex Central High

Rank History for Male students at Sussex Central High

Rank History for African American students at Sussex Central High

Rank History for White students at Sussex Central High

Enrollment information for Sussex Central High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sussex Central High

Student/Teacher Ratio Sussex Central High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sussex Central High

Impact of COVID-19 on Sussex Central High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Sussex Central High