Enrollment
1,288
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Davenport, IA
Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190858000461
👥 S:T ratio 43
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #1 of 4
- high schools in Davenport · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 43.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Davenport, IA.
School address
District: Davenport Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190858000461 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
90.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High School
Central High School is a large high school in Davenport, Iowa, enrolling 1,288 students.
At 14.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 43.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,288 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 45 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #16.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and African American (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 258 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 67.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 298 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,288 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Davenport's high schools, it stands alongside West High School (1,304 students): Central High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 14.8:1).
Davenport Comm School District also operates West High School (1,304 students) and North High School (1,190 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 Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.3% | ▲ 19% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,288 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,288
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 56% in Iowa - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
67.0%
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
$13,411
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 258 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
139
in-school suspensions + 159 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.1 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 47.2%
African American 23.3%
Hispanic or Latino 17.0%
Two or More 11.6%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 47.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.1, Central High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Davenport Comm School District, which includes Central High School.
$13,411
Per student
+4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.7%
State 53.0%
Federal 14.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sudlow Intermediate | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wood Intermediate | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Williams Intermediate | Smaller | Higher 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
- 1,304
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,190
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 734
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 629
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools in Davenport
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,288 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Davenport Comm 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 1,288 students enrolled. It is a high school in Davenport, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High School is 14.3:1, which is 3% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 9% 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?
43.3% of students at Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Central High School is White at 47.2% of enrollment, in Davenport, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High School?
Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Davenport?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Davenport, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Davenport on the city page.
Is Central High School a good school?
Central High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa. 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 Davenport Comm School District?
Besides Central High School, Davenport Comm School District also operates West High School (1,304 students), North High School (1,190 students), and Sudlow Intermediate (734 students). See the Davenport Comm 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.