Enrollment
1,444
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Brooksville, FL
Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120081002604
👥 S:T ratio 23
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Brooksville · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Florida
- 48.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High School has class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Brooksville, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
75.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High School
Central High School is a large high school in Brooksville, Florida, enrolling 1,444 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 48.4% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,444 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 473 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #198.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 289 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 526 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,444 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Hernando also operates Frank W. Springstead High School (1,853 students) and Winding Waters K-8 (1,613 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 Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.3:1 | ▲ 8% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.4% | ▼ 7% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,444 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,444
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 73% in Florida - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
47.0%
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
$9,962
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 289 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
348
in-school suspensions + 178 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
White 48.5%
Hispanic or Latino 34.3%
African American 10.0%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 48.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.4, Central High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hernando, which includes Central High School.
$9,962
Per student
-11%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.9%
State 44.9%
Federal 15.1%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank W. Springstead High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winding Waters K-8 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Explorer K-8 | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Challenger K-8 School of Science and Math | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Weeki Wachee High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 1,853
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,613
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,544
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,456
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,437
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,444 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Hernando'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 1,444 students enrolled. It is a high school in Brooksville, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High School is 19.3:1, which is 8% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central High School?
48.4% of students at Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Central High School is White at 48.5% of enrollment, in Brooksville, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High School?
Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Brooksville?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Brooksville, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Brooksville on the city page.
Is Central High School a good school?
Central High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools. 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 Hernando?
Besides Central High School, Hernando also operates Frank W. Springstead High School (1,853 students), Winding Waters K-8 (1,613 students), and Explorer K-8 (1,544 students). See the Hernando 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.