Enrollment
969
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · La Crosse, WI
Central High
Federal NCES profile for Central High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 550753000854
👥 S:T ratio 51
📚 AP courses 95
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin.
- #18 of 20
- public schools in La Crosse · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 33.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High ranks #18 of 20 public schools in La Crosse, WI.
School address
District: La Crosse School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550753000854 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
79.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.2%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High
Central High is a large high school in La Crosse, Wisconsin, enrolling 969 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 33.2% lands close to the Wisconsin typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Wisconsin, bigger than 95% of state schools at 969 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 144 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #68.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 19 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 242 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among La Crosse's high schools, it stands alongside Logan High (729 students): Central High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.3:1 vs 10.6:1).
La Crosse School District also operates Logan High (729 students) and Longfellow Middle (631 students) alongside Central High.
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 compares
Central High on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.3:1 | ▼ 15% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.2% | ▼ 14% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 969 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
969
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 37% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.8%
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
$15,778
per pupil, district-wide
- above Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 242 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
76
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.2 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
White 68.3%
Two or More 12.2%
Asian 8.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
African American 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 68.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.6, Central High is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 19
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for La Crosse School District, which includes Central High.
$15,778
Per student
+6%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 37.8%
Federal 11.8%
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 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logan High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Longfellow Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Logan Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southern Bluffs Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spence Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 329
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar high schools in La Crosse
1 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 Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~969 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High's federal record.
- Compare Central High against another school. Compare schools
- La Crosse School District'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
How many students attend Central High?
Central High has 969 students enrolled. It is a high school in La Crosse, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High is 12.3:1, which is 15% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central High?
33.2% of students at Central High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High?
The largest demographic group at Central High is White at 68.3% of enrollment, in La Crosse, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High?
Central High 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 rank among public schools in La Crosse?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High ranks #18 of 20 public schools in La Crosse, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in La Crosse on the city page.
Is Central High a good school?
Central High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin. 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 La Crosse School District?
Besides Central High, La Crosse School District also operates Logan High (729 students), Longfellow Middle (631 students), and Logan Middle (424 students). See the La Crosse School District 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.