Enrollment
657
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pageland, SC
Central High
Federal NCES profile for Central High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450156000318
👥 S:T ratio 39
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Pageland · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Pageland, SC.
School address
District: Chesterfield 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450156000318 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High
Central High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Pageland, South Carolina, enrolling 657 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 657 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 316 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #225, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and African American (35%) (diversity index 69/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 329 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 243 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 657 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Chesterfield 01 also operates Cheraw High (603 students) and Mcbee High (577 students) alongside Central High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central High compares
Central High on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▲ 7% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 657 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
657
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 68% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,179
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 329 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
139
in-school suspensions + 104 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 37.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 38.2%
African American 35.3%
Hispanic or Latino 18.4%
Two or More 7.0%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 38.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.1, Central High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesterfield 01, which includes Central High.
$13,179
Per student
-9%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.3%
State 52.9%
Federal 18.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Central High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheraw High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mcbee High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Edwards Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chesterfield High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| New Heights Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 603
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 538
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 457
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~657 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High's federal record.
- Compare Central High against another school. Compare schools
- Chesterfield 01's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Central High
How many students attend Central High?
Central High has 657 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pageland, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High is 15.3:1, which is 7% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central High?
100.0% of students at Central High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High?
The largest demographic group at Central High is White at 38.2% of enrollment, in Pageland, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High?
Central High has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central High rank among public schools in Pageland?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Pageland, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Pageland on the city page.
Is Central High a good school?
Central High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Chesterfield 01?
Besides Central High, Chesterfield 01 also operates Cheraw High (603 students), Mcbee High (577 students), and Edwards Elementary (538 students). See the Chesterfield 01 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.