Enrollment
403
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 260110304670
Central High School — Detroit, MI
Federal NCES profile for Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 19/100.
👥 Class size 29
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Detroit Public Schools Community District · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Central High School reports 403 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 11% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 89.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 64% above the Michigan average and 72% above the national baseline. The school offers 3 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 403 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 85.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Detroit Public Schools Community District spends $22,228 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 39.1% from local sources (property taxes), 41.7% from the state, and 19.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.7:1 | ▼ 3% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.2% | ▲ 64% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 403 | top 59% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
89.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 64% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
— 3% below state mean
Top 59% in Michigan — lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
85.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$22,228
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 403 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 403 Top 59% in Michigan — larger than 41% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 17.7:1 -3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 89.2% +64% vs state
NCES ID 260110304670
Student demographics
African American 98.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.0%
White 0.2%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 98.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 3
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 403:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 85.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 9
Expulsions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Detroit Public Schools Community District, which includes Central High School.
$22,228
Per student
+40%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 39.1%
State 41.7%
Federal 19.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,493
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,959
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,197
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,002
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
Similar high schools in Detroit
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney
Standard public school
639 students 17:1 students per teacher
Henry Ford High School
Standard public school
607 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Southeastern High School
Standard public school
602 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Voyageur College Prep
Standard public school
524 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Denby High School
Standard public school
464 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Science and Math Psad High School
Standard public school
452 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Central High School
How many students attend Central High School?
Central High School has 403 students enrolled. It is a high school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High School is 17.7:1, which is 3% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central High School?
89.2% of students at Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Central High School is African American at 98.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High School?
Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.