Enrollment
175
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hayneville, AL
Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010216000817
👥 S:T ratio 50
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Alabama.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Hayneville · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 98.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High School has class sizes smaller than 96% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Hayneville, AL.
School address
District: Lowndes County · Alabama
NCES ID 010216000817 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.9%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High School
Central High School is a high-poverty, small high school in Hayneville, Alabama, enrolling 175 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.5:1, Central High School is leaner than roughly 96% of Alabama schools and 29% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 98.9% of students qualify for free meals, 68% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of Alabama schools, with 175 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 39 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #23.
Its student body is predominantly African American (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 0/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 175 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Lowndes County spends $20,753 per pupil, 66% above the Alabama average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 31.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 83 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 175 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Lowndes County also operates Central Elementary School (200 students) and Calhoun High School (186 students) alongside Central High School.
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 School compares
Central High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 29% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.9% | ▲ 68% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 175 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
175
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 4% in Alabama - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.0%
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
$20,753
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 175 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 83 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 47.4 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
African American 100.0%
Largest group: African American at 100.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.0, Central High School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lowndes County, which includes Central High School.
$20,753
Per student
+66%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
+25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.7%
State 50.3%
Federal 31.0%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Calhoun High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fort Deposit Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hayneville Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jacksonsteele Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 200
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 186
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 186
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 144
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 114
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~175 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Lowndes County'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 School
How many students attend Central High School?
Central High School has 175 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hayneville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High School is 12.5:1, which is 29% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central High School?
98.9% of students at Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Central High School is African American at 100.0% of enrollment, in Hayneville, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High School?
Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central High School rank among public schools in Hayneville?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Hayneville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Hayneville on the city page.
Is Central High School a good school?
Central High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Alabama. 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 Lowndes County?
Besides Central High School, Lowndes County also operates Central Elementary School (200 students), Calhoun High School (186 students), and Fort Deposit Elementary School (186 students). See the Lowndes County 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.