Enrollment
1,803
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bridgeport, CT
Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 090045000056
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Connecticut schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Connecticut.
- #6 of 8
- high schools in Bridgeport · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19:1
- large classes for Connecticut
- 66.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High School has class sizes larger than 98% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #6 of 8 high schools in Bridgeport, CT.
School address
District: Bridgeport School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090045000056 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
95.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+57% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.3%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+82% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High School
Central High School is a higher-need, large high school in Bridgeport, Connecticut, enrolling 1,803 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19:1 is larger than about 98% of Connecticut schools and 57% above the 12.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 66.3% of students qualify for free meals, 82% above the Connecticut average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Connecticut, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,803 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and African American (29%) (diversity index 58/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 22 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 301 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 19 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bridgeport's high schools, it stands alongside Warren Harding High School (1,324 students): Central High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19:1 vs 17.7:1).
Bridgeport School District also operates Warren Harding High School (1,324 students) and Blackham School (1,088 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 Connecticut and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Connecticut | Connecticut avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▲ 57% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.3% | ▲ 82% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,803 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,803
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 82% above the Connecticut average of 36.4%
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
19:1
students per teacher
- 57% above state mean
Top 98% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.8%
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
$20,908
per pupil, district-wide
- below Connecticut avg of $23,870
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 301 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 168 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 19 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 57.0%
African American 28.9%
White 8.8%
Asian 2.7%
Two or More 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.3, Central High School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 22
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bridgeport School District, which includes Central High School.
$20,908
Per student
-12%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.0%
State 61.5%
Federal 18.5%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren Harding High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blackham School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bassick High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cesar Batalla School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Read School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,075
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 990
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 863
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar high schools in Bridgeport
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Warren Harding High School
Standard public school
1,324 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Bassick High School
Standard public school
1,075 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Bullard-Havens Technical High School
Vocational / career-technical school
819 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Information Technology & Software Engineering Magnet High Sc
Standard public school
386 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Biotechnology Research & Zoological Studies Magnet High Scho
Standard public school
376 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Aerospace/Hydrospace Engineering and Physical Sciences Magne
Standard public school
324 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Connecticut, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,803 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Bridgeport School District'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 1,803 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bridgeport, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High School is 19:1, which is 57% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central High School?
66.3% of students at Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Central High School is Hispanic or Latino at 57.0% of enrollment, in Bridgeport, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High School?
Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical 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 School rank among high schools in Bridgeport?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #6 of 8 high schools in Bridgeport, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bridgeport on the city page.
Is Central High School a good school?
Central High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Connecticut schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Connecticut. 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 Bridgeport School District?
Besides Central High School, Bridgeport School District also operates Warren Harding High School (1,324 students), Blackham School (1,088 students), and Bassick High School (1,075 students). See the Bridgeport School District 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.