Enrollment
1,087
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Evansville, IN
Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180345000459
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #6 of 7
- high schools in Evansville · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 48.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #6 of 7 high schools in Evansville, IN.
School address
District: Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180345000459 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
67.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.7%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High School
Central High School is a large high school in Evansville, Indiana, enrolling 1,087 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 48.7% lands close to the Indiana typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,087 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 152 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #62.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 38/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 272 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 256 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,087 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 38 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Evansville's high schools, it stands alongside North High School (1,650 students): Central High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 16.7:1).
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp also operates North High School (1,650 students) and William Henry Harrison High School (1,332 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 Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 2% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.7% | ▼ 2% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,087 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,087
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 61% in Indiana - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.3%
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
$12,310
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 272 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
82
in-school suspensions + 174 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 38 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 78.1%
African American 8.7%
Two or More 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 78.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.5, Central High School is about as mixed as the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp, which includes Central High School.
$12,310
Per student
+2%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.7%
State 59.0%
Federal 17.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William Henry Harrison High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Francis Joseph Reitz High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Junior High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mccutchanville Elementary School | Similar size | Lower 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
- 1,650
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,332
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,293
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 925
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 919
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar high schools in Evansville
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
North High School
Standard public school
1,650 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
William Henry Harrison High School
Standard public school
1,332 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Francis Joseph Reitz High School
Standard public school
1,293 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Signature School Inc
Standard public school
384 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
New Tech Institute
Standard public school
264 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Harwood Career Prep High School
Standard public school
192 students 9.6:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,087 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp'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 1,087 students enrolled. It is a high school in Evansville, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High School is 16.2:1, which is 2% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central High School?
48.7% of students at Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Central High School is White at 78.1% of enrollment, in Evansville, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High School?
Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Evansville?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #6 of 7 high schools in Evansville, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Evansville on the city page.
Is Central High School a good school?
Central High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana 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 Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp?
Besides Central High School, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp also operates North High School (1,650 students), William Henry Harrison High School (1,332 students), and Francis Joseph Reitz High School (1,293 students). See the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp 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.