High school (grades 9-12) · Salem, WI

Central High

Federal NCES profile for Central High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 551329001751
0/100100/10034/100
👥 S:T ratio
22
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
35
📋 Attendance
49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Central High earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Wisconsin schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin.

34
Resource Index · Typical
19.5:1
large classes for Wisconsin
8.7%
free-lunch eligible
1,309
students enrolled

Central High has class sizes larger than 92% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+59 students YoY

Central High held near 1,278 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+59 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 67.5 → 68.5 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+59 students YoY 551329001751 · Salem, WI High · MID · TRAD

1,309 enr · 19.5:1 · 8.7% lunch · RII 34

Nearest enrollment peer: Edcouch-Elsa H S (1,309 students)

Central High held near 1,278 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+59 headcount). Teacher FTE added 67.5 → 68.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Wisconsin schools → · Find another →

How Central High compares

Central High held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Wisconsin and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Wisconsin Wisconsin avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 19.5:1 ▲ 35% 14.4:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 8.7% ▼ 77% 38.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 1,309 top 2% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,309
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
8.7%
free-lunch eligible - 77% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher - 35% above state mean
Top 92% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.6%
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
$13,866
per pupil, district-wide - below Wisconsin avg of $15,645
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 327 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
112
in-school suspensions + 62 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 83.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%
Two or More 3.4%
African American 1.6%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Largest group: White at 83.0% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 29.8/100

Simpson diversity index - at 29.8, Central High is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.

Programs

AP courses offered 20

District finance for Central/Westosha Uhs School District reports $13,866 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Central High

How many students attend Central High?

Central High has 1,309 students enrolled. It is a high school in Salem, WI. CCD year-over-year: 1,219 (2022-23) → 1,278 (2023-24), nearly flat (+59).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High?

The student-teacher ratio at Central High is 19.5:1, which is 35% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central High?

8.7% 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 83.0% of enrollment, in Salem, WI.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High?

Central High has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

What other schools are in Central/Westosha Uhs School District?

None reported; Central/Westosha Uhs School District operates only Central High as a public school district in NCES's records.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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