Enrollment
1,265
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 470222000775
Central High School — Knoxville, TN
Federal NCES profile for Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 46
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 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: Knox County · Tennessee
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)
95.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 15.6:1 Tennessee avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High School compares with Tennessee 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 1,265 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 95.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 13% below the Tennessee state mean of 15.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 14% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
The school offers 18 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 316 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 46.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Knox County spends $11,040 per pupil district-wide, below the Tennessee average of $12,324 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 49.9% from local sources (property taxes), 35.6% from the state, and 14.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), 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 Tennessee state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,265 | top 95% | — | — |
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.
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
— 13% below state mean
Top 28% in Tennessee — lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
46.0%
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
$11,040
per pupil, district-wide
— below Tennessee avg of $12,324
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 316 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 189 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 19 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,265 Top 95% in Tennessee — larger than 5% of 1,844 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 95.0
Students per teacher 13.6:1 -13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 470222000775
Student demographics
White 51.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.9%
African American 18.9%
Two or More 7.3%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 51.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 18
Counselors (FTE) 4.0
Students per counselor 316:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 46.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 189
Expulsions 19
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Knox County, which includes Central High School.
$11,040
Per student
-10%
vs Tennessee
Avg $12,324
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 49.9%
State 35.6%
Federal 14.6%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,073
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,963
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,916
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,474
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Enrollment
- 1,463
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
Similar high schools in Knoxville
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Farragut High School
Standard public school
2,073 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Bearden High School
Standard public school
1,963 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Hardin Valley Academy
Standard public school
1,916 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
West High School
Standard public school
1,474 students 17:1 students per teacher
Karns High School
Standard public school
1,365 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Halls High School
Standard public school
1,236 students 16.2:1 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 1,265 students enrolled. It is a high school in Knoxville, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High School is 13.6:1, which is 13% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.6:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Central High School is White at 51.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Knoxville, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High School?
Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) 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.