Enrollment
2,006
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · El Centro, CA
Central Union High
Federal NCES profile for Central Union High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060801000771
👥 S:T ratio 16
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Union High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #4 of 6
- high schools in El Centro · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- students per teacher
- 62.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Union High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Union High ranks #4 of 6 high schools in El Centro, CA.
School address
District: Central Union High · California
NCES ID 060801000771 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
96.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Union High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Union High
Central Union High is a higher-need, large high school in El Centro, California, enrolling 2,006 students.
At 20.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.9% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 97% of state schools at 2,006 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 319 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among El Centro's high schools, it stands alongside Southwest High (1,846 students): Central Union High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.9:1 vs 20.1:1).
Central Union High also operates Southwest High (1,846 students) and Desert Oasis High (Continuation) (138 students) alongside Central Union 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 Union High compares
Central Union High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.9% | ▲ 13% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,006 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,006
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
27.5%
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
$16,425
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 287 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
- 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
Hispanic or Latino 96.3%
White 2.0%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.5%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 96.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.2, Central Union High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Union High, which includes Central Union High.
$16,425
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.6%
State 74.3%
Federal 10.1%
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 Union High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Desert Oasis High (Continuation) | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mt. Signal Virtual Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Phoenix Rising High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Union High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 138
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 60
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 20
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar high schools in El Centro
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Southwest High
Standard public school
1,846 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Imperial Pathways Charter
Standard public school
246 students 35.1:1 students per teacher
Desert Oasis High (Continuation)
Alternative education program
138 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Mt. Signal Virtual Academy
Alternative education program
60 students 20:1 students per teacher
Phoenix Rising High
Alternative education program
20 students 10:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,006 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Union High's federal record.
- Compare Central Union High against another school. Compare schools
- Central Union High'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 Union High
How many students attend Central Union High?
Central Union High has 2,006 students enrolled. It is a high school in El Centro, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Union High?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Union High is 20.9:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 33% higher 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 Union High?
62.9% of students at Central Union High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Union High?
The largest demographic group at Central Union High is Hispanic or Latino at 96.3% of enrollment, in El Centro, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Union High?
Central Union High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Union High rank among high schools in El Centro?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Union High ranks #4 of 6 high schools in El Centro, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in El Centro on the city page.
Is Central Union High a good school?
Central Union High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Central Union High?
Besides Central Union High, Central Union High also operates Southwest High (1,846 students), Desert Oasis High (Continuation) (138 students), and Mt. Signal Virtual Academy (60 students). See the Central Union High 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.