Is A-C Central High School a good school?

A-C Central High School ranks 444 th of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend A-C Central High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 106 students attended A-C Central High School.

What is the racial makeup of A-C Central High School?

Students at A-C Central High School are 93% White, 5% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What schools feed into A-C Central High School?

A-C Central High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : A-C Central Elementary School Middle : A-C Central Middle School

A-C Central High School

Summary:

A-C Central High School is a public high school located in Ashland, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 112 students. The school is part of the A-C Central CUSD 262 district, which is ranked 677 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

A-C Central High School has faced significant challenges in recent years. The school has seen a dramatic decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 146th out of 699 Illinois high schools in 2021-2022 with a 4-star rating to 444th out of 697 high schools with a 2-star rating in 2023-2024. This decline is accompanied by consistently low test scores, with only 11.1% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT Mathematics and 18.5% proficient or better in SAT English Language Arts, compared to state averages of 26.1% and 31.1%, respectively. Additionally, the school has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 11.6% in 2019-2020 to 33.3% in 2023-2024, well above the state average of 21.4%.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as Franklin Junior/Senior High School, Triopia Junior-Senior High School, and Jacksonville High School, A-C Central High School generally underperforms in key metrics like test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. This may be partly attributed to the school's relatively high percentage of low socioeconomic status students, with 33.04% receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, higher than the state average. The challenges faced by A-C Central High School are further compounded by the overall struggles of the A-C Central CUSD 262 district, which is ranked 677 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Detail:

Public 9-12

501 W Buchanan St
Ashland, IL 62612

(217) 476-3312

District: A-C Central CUSD 262

SchoolDigger Rank:
444^th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,021

Feeder schools for A-C Central High School:

Elementary:	A-C Central Elementary School
Middle:	A-C Central Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.1

Number of students: 106

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.4%

Hispanic:

4.7%

Two or more races:

1.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.7%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare A-C Central High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details A-C Central High School ranks worse than 63.7% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.66. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at A-C 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: White (93.4%), Hispanic (4.7%), two or more races (1.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 38.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at A-C Central High School is 9.1. (See more...)

Compare A-C Central High School employs 11.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at A-C Central High School is $18,021.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

A-C Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks A-C Central High School 444^th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See A-C Central High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

A-C Central CUSD 262:

SchoolDigger ranks A-C Central CUSD 262 677^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for A-C Central High School

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Rank History for all students at A-C Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	54.45	302^nd	586	48.5%
2004	74.31	131^st	592	77.9%
2005	73.28	150^th	590	74.6%
2006	75.65	130^th	596	78.2%
2007	30.95	473^rd	612	22.7%
2008	55.54	321^st	624	48.6%
2009	65.39	232^nd	632	63.3%
2010	87.65	53^rd	643	91.8%
2011	80.05	109^th	655	83.4%
2012	48.77	388^th	665	41.7%
2013	71.67	187^th	670	72.1%
2014	57.45	307^th	670	54.2%
2015	15.22	554^th	614	9.8%
2016	29.10	472^nd	643	26.6%
2017	19.17	533^rd	642	17.0%
2018	33.68	447^th	647	30.9%
2019	42.51	406^th	701	42.1%
2021	28.15	486^th	688	29.4%
2022	74.22	146^th	699	79.1%
2023	48.99	346^th	699	50.5%
2024	33.66	444^th	697	36.3%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	55.09	234^th	585	60.0%
2019	43.77	346^th	639	45.9%
2021	41.81	318^th	611	48.0%
2022	85.62	48^th	626	92.3%
2024	54.84	236^th	639	63.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at A-C Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	42.28	366^th	620	41.0%
2019	48.70	341^st	665	48.7%
2021	31.29	415^th	639	35.1%
2022	84.28	84^th	658	87.2%
2024	21.47	507^th	664	23.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at A-C Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.52	483^rd	619	22.0%
2019	36.47	436^th	675	35.4%
2021	23.52	492^nd	653	24.7%
2022	58.15	243^rd	664	63.4%
2023	45.53	351^st	668	47.5%
2024	45.00	328^th	668	50.9%

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

Rank History for White students at A-C Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	18.58	478^th	548	12.8%
2019	27.55	409^th	552	25.9%
2021	15.54	495^th	553	10.5%
2022	58.51	194^th	560	65.4%
2023	28.84	412^th	557	26.0%
2024	20.91	447^th	554	19.3%

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

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board 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: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for A-C Central High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	146	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	147
1991	167	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	168
1992	189	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	189
1993	205	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	205
1994	180	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	180
1995	160	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	160
1996	160	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	160
1997	160	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	160
1998	169	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	170
1999	171	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	171
2000	169	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	169
2001	165	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	166
2002	174	3	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	179
2003	174	3	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	179
2004	146	1	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	150
2005	147	2	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	151
2006	147	2	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	150
2007	154	2	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	157
2008	145	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	148
2009	141	2	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	145
2010	126	2	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	130
2011	157	1	1	2	0	0	0	161
2012	130	0	0	1	0	0	0	131
2013	124	3	0	1	0	0	1	129
2014	119	5	0	1	0	0	0	125
2015	116	6	0	5	1	0	0	128
2016	119	5	0	4	1	0	0	129
2017	127	4	0	4	0	0	2	137
2018	134	4	0	3	0	0	0	141
2019	127	0	0	2	0	0	0	129
2020	120	0	0	3	0	0	0	123
2021	125	0	0	2	0	0	0	127
2022	113	0	0	2	0	0	1	116
2023	107	1	0	3	0	0	1	112
2024	99	0	0	5	0	0	2	106

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 A-C Central High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	147	14.6	10.0	n/a
1991	168	14.6	11.5	n/a
1992	189	14.6	12.9	n/a
1993	205	13.3	15.4	n/a
1994	180	14.4	12.5	n/a
1995	160	14.0	11.4	n/a
1996	160	14.0	11.4	n/a
1997	160	15.0	10.7	n/a
1998	170	15.2	11.2	n/a
1999	171	17.0	10.1	n/a
2000	169	17.0	9.9	n/a
2001	166	16.1	10.3	n/a
2002	179	19.1	9.4	18.4
2003	179	19.1	9.4	18.4
2004	150	14.5	10.3	19.3
2005	151	15.1	10.0	21.9
2006	150	16.5	9.1	24
2007	157	21.0	7.5	28.7
2008	148	16.0	9.3	27.7
2009	145	15.5	9.4	24.8
2010	130	14.7	8.8	29.2
2011	161	14.3	11.1	25.5
2012	131	12.8	10.1	29
2013	129	20.7	6.2	31
2014	125	12.7	9.7	33.6
2015	128	12.0	10.6	42.2
2016	129	14.0	9.2	41.1
2017	137	14.2	9.6	47.4
2018	141	12.3	11.4	46.8
2019	129	12.2	10.5	41.1
2020	123	14.1	8.6	42.3
2021	127	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	116	14.7	7.8	45.7
2023	112	14.6	7.6	33
2024	106	11.5	9.1	38.7

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 A-C Central High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	147	14.6	10.0	n/a
1991	168	14.6	11.5	n/a
1992	189	14.6	12.9	n/a
1993	205	13.3	15.4	n/a
1994	180	14.4	12.5	n/a
1995	160	14.0	11.4	n/a
1996	160	14.0	11.4	n/a
1997	160	15.0	10.7	n/a
1998	170	15.2	11.2	n/a
1999	171	17.0	10.1	n/a
2000	169	17.0	9.9	n/a
2001	166	16.1	10.3	n/a
2002	179	19.1	9.4	18.4
2003	179	19.1	9.4	18.4
2004	150	14.5	10.3	19.3
2005	151	15.1	10.0	21.9
2006	150	16.5	9.1	24
2007	157	21.0	7.5	28.7
2008	148	16.0	9.3	27.7
2009	145	15.5	9.4	24.8
2010	130	14.7	8.8	29.2
2011	161	14.3	11.1	25.5
2012	131	12.8	10.1	29
2013	129	20.7	6.2	31
2014	125	12.7	9.7	33.6
2015	128	12.0	10.6	42.2
2016	129	14.0	9.2	41.1
2017	137	14.2	9.6	47.4
2018	141	12.3	11.4	46.8
2019	129	12.2	10.5	41.1
2020	123	14.1	8.6	42.3
2021	127	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	116	14.7	7.8	45.7
2023	112	14.6	7.6	33
2024	106	11.5	9.1	38.7

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.

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