Enrollment
519
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Kansas City, MO
Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 291640000840
👥 S:T ratio 42
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 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 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Missouri schools.
- #7 of 20
- high schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 99.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High School has class sizes larger than 74% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #7 of 20 high schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
District: Kansas City 33 · Missouri
NCES ID 291640000840 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.4%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+116% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High School compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High School
Central High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 519 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.4% of students qualify for free meals, 116% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 519 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 158 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #82.
Its student body is led by African American (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 37/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 260 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 64.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Kansas City 33 spends $18,221 per pupil, 41% above the Missouri average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 158 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 519 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Kansas City's high schools, it stands alongside Ewing Marion Kauffman High (402 students): Central High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.4:1 vs 11.8:1).
Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students) and Lincoln College Prep. (997 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 Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 12% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.4% | ▲ 116% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 519 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
519
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 116% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
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
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 74% in Missouri - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
64.9%
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
$18,221
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 260 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 136 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 30.4 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
African American 78.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.6%
White 5.6%
Two or More 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 78.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.5, Central High School is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kansas City 33, which includes Central High School.
$18,221
Per student
+41%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.0%
State 2.3%
Federal 22.6%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln College Prep. | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| M. L. King Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northeast High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paseo Acad. of Performing Arts | Larger | 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
- 1,155
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 997
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools in Kansas City
2 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 Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~519 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Kansas City 33'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 519 students enrolled. It is a high school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High School is 14.4:1, which is 12% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central High School?
99.4% of students at Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Central High School is African American at 78.6% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High School?
Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #7 of 20 high schools in Kansas City, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Kansas City on the city page.
Is Central High School a good school?
Central High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Missouri 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 Kansas City 33?
Besides Central High School, Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students), Lincoln College Prep. (997 students), and M. L. King Elementary (768 students). See the Kansas City 33 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.