Hammond Central High School

Summary:

Hammond Central High School is a public high school serving 1,863 students in grades 9-12 in Hammond, Indiana. The school is part of the School City of Hammond district, which is ranked 331 out of 381 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating.

Hammond Central High School faces significant challenges, with a student population that is 33.55% African American, 56.95% Hispanic, and only 5.9% White. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of Indiana high schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its four-year graduation rate has been below the state average, ranging from 62.6% to 78.6% in recent years, and it has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 22.0%. Standardized test scores, such as the SAT and ILEARN, are significantly below the state and district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 21.47% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing, compared to the district average of 23.9%.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Griffith Junior/Senior High School, Hammond Central High School stands out as the lowest-performing. This may be due to the school's high percentage of students (73.32%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage. Despite the school's low performance, the per-student spending at Hammond Central High School is relatively high, suggesting that the issue may not be solely a lack of funding, but rather how the resources are being utilized. The school's unique demographic profile and racial disparities also raise questions about potential systemic barriers and inequities that may be contributing to the academic and performance gaps.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 5926 Calumet Ave
       Hammond, IN  46320


(219) 933-2442

District: School City of Hammond

SchoolDigger Rank:
391st of 431 Indiana High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,522 Help


Feeder schools for Hammond Central High School:

Elementary:    Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
    Benjamin Franklin Elementary School
    Kenwood Elementary School
    Lew Wallace Elementary School
    More...
Middle:    Henry W Eggers Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  19.9 Help
Number of students:  1,923

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
54.2%
African American:
35.7%
White:
5.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  59.8% Help


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 Compare Hammond Central High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Hammond Central High School ranks worse than 90.7% of high schools in Indiana. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.03. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Hammond Central High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
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 Hammond Central High School has the largest high school student body size in the School City of Hammond District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (54.2%), African American (35.7%), White (5.9%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 59.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the School City of Hammond District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Hammond Central High School is 19.9. 1 high schools in the School City of Hammond District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Hammond Central High School employs 96.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Hammond Central High School is $11,522. 1 high schools in the School City of Hammond District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Hammond Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Hammond Central High School 391st of 431 Indiana public high schools. (See Hammond Central High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


School City of Hammond:

SchoolDigger ranks School City of Hammond 332nd of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Hammond Central High School

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Rank History for all students at Hammond Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 1.16 339th 349 2.9%
2006 1.40 340th 349 2.6%
2007 1.57 342nd 354 3.4%
2008 1.55 346th 360 3.9%
2009 3.40 345th 364 5.2%
2010 4.23 351st 362 3.0%
2011 3.07 358th 364 1.6%
2012 13.65 345th 373 7.5%
2013 2.21 345th 353 2.3%
2014 1.62 370th 379 2.4%
2015 7.85 367th 400 8.3%
2016 5.12 370th 394 6.1%
2017 4.65 361st 380 5.0%
2018 4.37 367th 385 4.7%
2019 5.64 367th 389 5.7%
2021 8.04 370th 388 4.6%
2022 11.65 360th 409 12.0%
2023 9.48 367th 398 7.8%
2024 9.03 391st 431 9.3%
See the entire list of Indiana High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Hammond Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 9.23 89th 94 5.3%
2023 17.46 91st 104 12.5%
2024 8.43 99th 102 2.9%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Hammond Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 26.77 63rd 74 14.9%
2024 26.63 75th 94 20.2%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Hammond Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 26.88 233rd 285 18.2%
2024 16.35 268th 289 7.3%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 13.22 346th 379 8.7%
2024 9.67 353rd 377 6.4%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Hammond Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 10.08 357th 388 8.0%
2024 7.20 369th 392 5.9%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Hammond Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 8.04 361st 383 5.7%
2024 7.42 371st 392 5.4%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Hammond Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 21.65 100th 125 20.0%
2023 23.65 99th 125 20.8%
2024 22.91 111th 132 15.9%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Hammond Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 31.41 109th 164 33.5%
2023 16.92 150th 166 9.6%
2024 16.51 164th 184 10.9%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Hammond Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 23.15 312th 378 17.5%
2023 16.80 340th 375 9.3%
2024 7.41 365th 381 4.2%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Indiana 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.

Hammond Central High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
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Reviews:
by a citizen
Friday, March 11, 2011

Open Quote Used to be one the top five High Schools in the State. Now the worst High School in Hammond, might be the worst in Lake County. Hope they can turn it around, bad leadership from the 60's through the 90's did not realize that their demographic was changing. Tried to hold on to glory days too long and did not meet the needs of their current students Close Quote



Enrollment information for Hammond 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 659 372 10 192 0 n/a n/a 0 1233
1989 617 395 12 209 0 n/a n/a 0 1233
1990 606 399 9 215 0 n/a n/a 0 1229
1991 598 400 11 248 0 n/a n/a 0 1257
1992 595 406 6 269 0 n/a n/a 0 1276
1993 623 436 5 281 0 n/a n/a 0 1345
1994 575 451 8 266 1 n/a n/a 0 1301
1995 522 481 5 256 2 n/a n/a 0 1266
1996 522 481 5 256 2 n/a n/a 0 1266
1997 534 546 7 279 2 n/a n/a 0 1368
1998 496 488 6 287 2 n/a n/a 1 1280
1999 441 482 3 275 1 n/a n/a 0 1202
2000 356 474 5 213 1 n/a n/a 0 1049
2001 264 413 1 195 0 n/a n/a 0 873
2002 196 438 2 200 9 n/a n/a 0 845
2003 196 438 2 200 9 n/a n/a 0 845
2004 147 445 1 218 4 n/a n/a 0 815
2005 158 466 0 230 0 n/a n/a 0 854
2006 170 573 1 301 1 n/a n/a 0 1046
2007 118 610 0 317 1 n/a n/a 34 1080
2008 112 608 0 352 0 n/a n/a 26 1098
2009 106 616 1 357 1 n/a n/a 22 1103
2010 87 563 4 366 9 n/a n/a 34 1063
2011 70 454 1 362 12 1 23 0 923
2012 64 404 1 321 7 0 28 0 825
2013 53 376 1 308 12 0 28 0 778
2014 54 382 1 311 7 0 25 0 780
2015 36 378 0 330 5 0 13 0 762
2016 36 423 0 374 6 0 14 0 853
2017 37 395 1 380 1 0 16 0 830
2018 25 418 1 351 1 0 18 0 814
2019 31 376 1 356 3 0 18 0 785
2020 36 384 2 361 2 0 25 0 810
2021 27 443 1 385 1 0 34 0 891
2022 135 634 3 1082 3 0 47 0 1904
2023 110 625 2 1061 1 0 64 0 1863
2024 113 686 2 1042 5 0 75 0 1923

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 Hammond Central High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1233 69.5 17.7 33
1989 1233 61.4 20.0 28.3
1990 1229 64.8 18.9 29.5
1991 1257 61.5 20.4 29.4
1992 1276 56.5 22.5 31.6
1993 1345 53.4 25.2 34.3
1994 1301 58.0 22.4 37
1995 1266 52.3 24.2 43.8
1996 1266 52.3 24.2 43.8
1997 1368 49.1 27.9 34.4
1998 1280 51.4 24.9 42.5
1999 1202 51.2 23.5 38
2000 1049 48.6 21.6 38.9
2001 873 49.1 17.8 51.9
2002 845 46.4 18.2 60
2003 845 46.4 18.2 60
2004 815 47.2 17.3 72.9
2005 854 45.3 18.9 67.8
2006 1046 45.4 23.0 75
2007 1080 n/a n/a 74
2008 1098 54.4 20.2 74.9
2009 1103 55.4 19.9 79.1
2010 1063 57.7 18.4 85.8
2011 923 54.1 17.0 83.2
2012 825 60.0 13.7 87.5
2013 778 52.0 14.9 87.8
2014 780 44.1 17.6 85.4
2015 762 40.0 19.0 89.2
2016 853 46.0 18.5 88
2017 830 48.8 16.9 85.5
2018 814 51.0 15.9 87.3
2019 785 47.4 16.5 75.4
2020 810 41.0 19.7 65.8
2021 891 40.1 22.1 78.8
2022 1904 124.7 15.2 72.7
2023 1863 96.7 19.2 73.3
2024 1923 96.5 19.9 59.8

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 Hammond Central High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1233 69.5 17.7 33
1989 1233 61.4 20.0 28.3
1990 1229 64.8 18.9 29.5
1991 1257 61.5 20.4 29.4
1992 1276 56.5 22.5 31.6
1993 1345 53.4 25.2 34.3
1994 1301 58.0 22.4 37
1995 1266 52.3 24.2 43.8
1996 1266 52.3 24.2 43.8
1997 1368 49.1 27.9 34.4
1998 1280 51.4 24.9 42.5
1999 1202 51.2 23.5 38
2000 1049 48.6 21.6 38.9
2001 873 49.1 17.8 51.9
2002 845 46.4 18.2 60
2003 845 46.4 18.2 60
2004 815 47.2 17.3 72.9
2005 854 45.3 18.9 67.8
2006 1046 45.4 23.0 75
2007 1080 n/a n/a 74
2008 1098 54.4 20.2 74.9
2009 1103 55.4 19.9 79.1
2010 1063 57.7 18.4 85.8
2011 923 54.1 17.0 83.2
2012 825 60.0 13.7 87.5
2013 778 52.0 14.9 87.8
2014 780 44.1 17.6 85.4
2015 762 40.0 19.0 89.2
2016 853 46.0 18.5 88
2017 830 48.8 16.9 85.5
2018 814 51.0 15.9 87.3
2019 785 47.4 16.5 75.4
2020 810 41.0 19.7 65.8
2021 891 40.1 22.1 78.8
2022 1904 124.7 15.2 72.7
2023 1863 96.7 19.2 73.3
2024 1923 96.5 19.9 59.8

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 Hammond Central High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $823 (8.2%) $9,234 (91.8%) $10,058
2020 $700 (7.8%) $8,229 (92.2%) $8,929
2021 $1,201 (13.6%) $7,630 (86.4%) $8,831
2022 $1,792 (15.6%) $9,730 (84.4%) $11,522

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Hammond 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 367th of 389 High schoolsRanks 367th of 398 High schools
 2.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Hammond Central High School)0.91.6
 0.7%
   End of Course Biology (School City of Hammond)11.33.4
 7.9%
   End of Course Biology (Indiana)38.629
 9.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students7851863
 137.3%
African American376625
 66.2%
American Indian31
 66.7%
Asian12
 100%
Hispanic3561061
 198%
Pacific Islander00
White31110
 254.8%
Two or More Races1864
 255.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients75.4%73.3%
 2.1%


Schools Near Hammond Central High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Hammond Central High School

Students at Hammond Central High School are 54% Hispanic, 36% African American, 6% White, 4% Two or more races.

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,923 students attended Hammond Central High School.

Hammond Central High School ranks in the bottom 9.3% of Indiana high schools.


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