Enrollment
1,331
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 470014801028
Central High — Memphis, TN
Federal NCES profile for Central High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 15
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 27
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: Memphis-Shelby County Schools · 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)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.2:1
vs 15.6:1 Tennessee avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High 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 reports 1,331 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 62.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 21.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 36% above the Tennessee state mean of 15.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 33% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
The school offers 22 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 333 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Memphis-Shelby County Schools spends $15,292 per pupil district-wide, above the Tennessee average of $12,324 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 34.5% from local sources (property taxes), 37.0% from the state, and 28.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 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 | 21.2:1 | ▲ 36% | 15.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,331 | top 96% | — | — |
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
21.2:1
students per teacher
— 36% above state mean
Top 96% in Tennessee — lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
29.1%
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
$15,292
per pupil, district-wide
— above 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 333 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 1,331 Top 96% in Tennessee — larger than 4% of 1,844 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 62.0
Students per teacher 21.2:1 +36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 470014801028
Student demographics
African American 83.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 4.6%
White 2.7%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 83.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 22
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 4.0
Students per counselor 333:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 29.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which includes Central High.
$15,292
Per student
+24%
vs Tennessee
Avg $12,324
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 37.0%
Federal 28.5%
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
- 2,251
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,046
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Enrollment
- 1,719
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,675
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,509
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
Similar high schools in Memphis
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
White Station High
Standard public school
2,046 students 17:1 students per teacher
Southwind High
Standard public school
1,675 students 23.9:1 students per teacher
Whitehaven High
Standard public school
1,509 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Overton High
Standard public school
1,417 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Kingsbury High
Standard public school
1,383 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Craigmont High
Standard public school
968 students 15.6:1 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
How many students attend Central High?
Central High has 1,331 students enrolled. It is a high school in Memphis, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High is 21.2:1, which is 36% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.6:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High?
The largest demographic group at Central High is African American at 83.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Memphis, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High?
Central High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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.