Central High

Summary:

Central High is a public high school located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,341 students. The school is part of the Cape Girardeau 63 school district, which is ranked 183 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central High has shown steady improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from 365th out of 521 Missouri high schools in 2013-2014 to 140th out of 378 in 2023-2024. The school's performance on End of Course (EOC) exams is mixed, with strong results in Algebra II and English II but lagging behind in Algebra I and Biology I. Central High's performance on EOC exams for specific student subgroups indicates significant achievement gaps, with the school ranking 84th out of 105 Missouri high schools for African American students, 29th out of 70 for Hispanic students, and 53rd out of 321 for White students. The school has maintained a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 84.8% to 89.1% over the past few years, but its dropout rate has fluctuated between 2.7% and 3.8%, which is higher than the state's average.

Compared to nearby schools, Central High generally outperforms Oak Ridge High, Thomas W. Kelly High, and Oran High School on various metrics, including statewide ranking, graduation rates, and test scores. However, the school lags behind the higher-performing Jackson Senior High, which is ranked 75th out of 378 Missouri high schools and has stronger academic performance across multiple subjects. Central High performs well in serving its gifted and talented student population, ranking 10th out of 47 Missouri high schools in this category in 2023-2024.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1000 S Silver Springs Rd
       Cape Girardeau, MO  63703-7511


(573) 335-8228

District: Cape Girardeau 63

SchoolDigger Rank:
140th of 378 Missouri High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,571 Help


Feeder schools for Central High:

Elementary:    Alma Schrader Elementary
    Blanchard Elementary
    Clippard Elementary
    Franklin Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Central Junior High
    Central Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  14.6 Help
Number of students:  1,315

Racial breakdown:

White:
49.1%
African American:
31.9%
Two or more races:
9.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Central High ranks better than 63% of high schools in Missouri. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 51.22. (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.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (49.1%), African American (31.9%), two or more races (9.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central High is 14.6. (See more...)
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Compare Central High employs 89.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central High is $11,571.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central High:

SchoolDigger ranks Central High 140th of 378 Missouri 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:
Gifted and Talented students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Cape Girardeau 63:

SchoolDigger ranks Cape Girardeau 63 183rd of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Central High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 67.40 123rd 534 77.0%
2007 64.23 148th 538 72.5%
2008 58.29 218th 539 59.6%
2009 11.89 470th 507 7.3%
2010 42.45 322nd 516 37.6%
2011 24.83 451st 528 14.6%
2012 18.06 477th 522 8.6%
2013 45.04 302nd 523 42.3%
2014 37.23 365th 521 29.9%
2015 43.38 297th 504 41.1%
2016 44.90 227th 401 43.4%
2017 30.62 320th 404 20.8%
2018 35.17 312th 468 33.3%
2019 33.84 318th 460 30.9%
2021 44.63 183rd 358 48.9%
2022 45.21 171st 361 52.6%
2023 46.06 162nd 352 54.0%
2024 51.22 140th 378 63.0%
See the entire list of Missouri High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.64 51st 52 1.9%
2019 19.15 55th 59 6.8%
2021 37.08 12th 23 47.8%
2022 25.97 20th 28 28.6%
2023 40.25 18th 34 47.1%
See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 47.17 60th 127 52.8%
2024 48.70 69th 135 48.9%
See the entire list of Best Missouri 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 MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.61 325th 382 14.9%
2019 50.82 149th 368 59.5%
2021 80.74 23rd 255 91.0%
2022 83.82 21st 250 91.6%
2023 77.27 29th 268 89.2%
2024 79.74 21st 274 92.3%
See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 47.43 55th 103 46.6%
2021 50.56 61st 129 52.7%
2022 50.24 42nd 111 62.2%
See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 73.20 10th 47 78.7%
See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for African American students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.45 101st 111 9.0%
2019 27.73 80th 106 24.5%
2021 26.31 83rd 96 13.5%
2022 52.50 43rd 105 59.0%
2023 49.55 35th 99 64.6%
2024 31.53 84th 105 20.0%
See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.45 25th 84 70.2%
2019 26.61 70th 91 23.1%
2024 46.86 29th 70 58.6%
See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Central High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.36 124th 440 71.8%
2019 51.90 152nd 430 64.7%
2021 58.43 81st 309 73.8%
2022 59.41 77th 310 75.2%
2023 63.80 57th 302 81.1%
2024 68.19 53rd 321 83.5%
See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, August 31, 2012

Open Quote The faculty at CHS are fantastic. They are well trained, caring, and very well qualified to teach the diversified student body. The high school has a lot of opportunities for my children to participate in during and after school. I'm very pleased to have my kids attend this high school. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Central High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 1030 1030
1992 832 112 15 4 0 n/a n/a 0 963
1993 864 102 13 4 5 n/a n/a 0 988
1994 872 102 6 2 1 n/a n/a 0 983
1995 870 148 13 2 1 n/a n/a 0 1034
1996 870 148 13 2 1 n/a n/a 0 1034
1997 822 143 18 0 2 n/a n/a 0 985
1998 809 136 14 5 2 n/a n/a 0 966
1999 800 148 15 6 3 n/a n/a 0 972
2000 790 140 8 8 4 n/a n/a 0 950
2001 764 163 8 6 2 n/a n/a 0 943
2002 1101 225 17 11 1 n/a n/a 0 1355
2003 1101 225 17 11 1 n/a n/a 0 1355
2004 1080 225 15 11 3 n/a n/a 0 1334
2005 1088 260 17 11 1 n/a n/a 0 1377
2006 1050 274 22 17 1 n/a n/a 0 1364
2007 1000 328 24 26 1 n/a n/a 0 1379
2008 975 347 26 28 1 n/a n/a 0 1377
2009 911 342 17 30 2 n/a n/a 0 1302
2010 847 348 15 33 3 n/a n/a 0 1246
2011 815 331 16 34 3 0 0 0 1199
2012 793 343 14 36 2 0 5 0 1193
2013 700 358 11 39 1 0 13 0 1122
2014 726 347 14 39 2 0 23 0 1151
2015 702 332 18 38 2 0 40 0 1132
2016 684 309 10 42 2 0 53 0 1100
2017 654 341 16 33 2 0 64 0 1110
2018 658 350 20 41 1 1 85 0 1156
2019 669 352 21 48 2 0 93 0 1185
2020 699 340 27 63 1 1 101 0 1232
2021 705 362 27 68 1 1 114 0 1278
2022 705 382 32 70 1 1 117 0 1308
2023 707 391 26 88 0 1 128 0 1341
2024 646 420 28 90 1 0 130 0 1315

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
1991 1030 65.3 15.7 n/a
1992 963 61.0 15.7 6.1
1993 988 53.5 18.5 6.2
1994 983 56.7 17.3 6.2
1995 1034 64.6 16.0 13.6
1996 1034 64.6 16.0 13.6
1997 985 65.0 15.2 13.3
1998 966 66.2 14.6 10.4
1999 972 57.6 16.9 13.7
2000 950 56.8 16.7 20.2
2001 943 62.0 15.2 18.1
2002 1355 81.9 16.5 26.9
2003 1355 81.9 16.5 26.9
2004 1334 78.5 17.0 26.6
2005 1377 80.2 17.2 32.2
2006 1364 82.1 16.6 35.7
2007 1379 81.0 17.0 32.6
2008 1377 87.7 15.7 37.8
2009 1302 97.5 13.4 33.3
2010 1246 99.9 12.4 40.4
2011 1199 96.8 12.3 44.6
2012 1193 95.5 12.4 45.6
2013 1122 94.0 11.9 47.7
2014 1151 94.7 12.1 51.4
2015 1132 91.0 12.4 51.4
2016 1100 89.0 12.3 51.1
2017 1110 82.2 13.4 52.3
2018 1156 80.1 14.4 53.5
2019 1185 82.3 14.3 99.7
2020 1232 81.2 15.1 99.8
2021 1278 87.9 14.5 99.8
2022 1308 87.8 14.8 99.8
2023 1341 89.0 15.0 0.2
2024 1315 89.5 14.6 100

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
1991 1030 65.3 15.7 n/a
1992 963 61.0 15.7 6.1
1993 988 53.5 18.5 6.2
1994 983 56.7 17.3 6.2
1995 1034 64.6 16.0 13.6
1996 1034 64.6 16.0 13.6
1997 985 65.0 15.2 13.3
1998 966 66.2 14.6 10.4
1999 972 57.6 16.9 13.7
2000 950 56.8 16.7 20.2
2001 943 62.0 15.2 18.1
2002 1355 81.9 16.5 26.9
2003 1355 81.9 16.5 26.9
2004 1334 78.5 17.0 26.6
2005 1377 80.2 17.2 32.2
2006 1364 82.1 16.6 35.7
2007 1379 81.0 17.0 32.6
2008 1377 87.7 15.7 37.8
2009 1302 97.5 13.4 33.3
2010 1246 99.9 12.4 40.4
2011 1199 96.8 12.3 44.6
2012 1193 95.5 12.4 45.6
2013 1122 94.0 11.9 47.7
2014 1151 94.7 12.1 51.4
2015 1132 91.0 12.4 51.4
2016 1100 89.0 12.3 51.1
2017 1110 82.2 13.4 52.3
2018 1156 80.1 14.4 53.5
2019 1185 82.3 14.3 99.7
2020 1232 81.2 15.1 99.8
2021 1278 87.9 14.5 99.8
2022 1308 87.8 14.8 99.8
2023 1341 89.0 15.0 0.2
2024 1315 89.5 14.6 100

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 $911 (8.2%) $10,192 (91.8%) $11,103
2020 $1,222 (11.6%) $9,320 (88.4%) $10,541
2021 $1,206 (10.4%) $10,427 (89.6%) $11,633
2022 $3,016 (26.1%) $8,555 (73.9%) $11,571

Data source: Missouri 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 318th of 460 High schoolsRanks 162nd of 352 High schools
 23.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Algebra I (Central High)29.126.2
 2.9%
   End of Course Algebra I (Cape Girardeau 63)4133.8
 7.2%
   End of Course Algebra I (Missouri)45.341.5
 3.8%
End of Course Biology I (Central High)21.835.1
 13.3%
   End of Course Biology I (Cape Girardeau 63)21.835.1
 13.3%
   End of Course Biology I (Missouri)39.238.5
 0.7%
End of Course English II (Central High)58.952.6
 6.3%
   End of Course English II (Cape Girardeau 63)58.952.6
 6.3%
   End of Course English II (Missouri)5954.4
 4.6%
End of Course Algebra II (Central High)49.371.6
 22.3%
   End of Course Algebra II (Cape Girardeau 63)49.371.6
 22.3%
   End of Course Algebra II (Missouri)5051.6
 1.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students11851341
 13.2%
African American352391
 11.1%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian2126
 23.8%
Hispanic4888
 83.3%
Pacific Islander01
White669707
 5.7%
Two or More Races93128
 37.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.7%0.2%
 99.5%


Schools Near Central High









Frequently Asked Questions about Central High

Central High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alma Schrader Elementary
Elementary : Blanchard Elementary
Elementary : Clippard Elementary
Elementary : Franklin Elementary
Elementary : Jefferson Elementary
Middle : Central Junior High
Middle : Central Middle

Students at Central High are 49% White, 32% African American, 10% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,315 students attended Central High.

Central High ranks 140th of 378 Missouri high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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