Central High School

Located at 5901 HALL ST SE, in GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, Central High School is an expansive senior high that serves 999 students (grades 9 through 12), part of Forest Hills Public Schools. Compared to the state average of about 460 students per school, that is 117% above typical.

Across the 18 schools in Forest Hills Public Schools (8,797 students total), Central High School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Central High School shows that the student body is overwhelmingly White (81%); the rest is composed of 7% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, 3% Black. By comparison, Kent County as a whole is about 73% White, so the school skews meaningfully more White than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school employs 55 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 18.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 21.6:1, putting Central High School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 14% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Kent County (around 47%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

In the surrounding community, the surrounding county (Kent County) reports that median household income runs about $82,631, about 41% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. Central High School is one of 239 public schools in Kent County (combined enrollment of about 97,253 students).

The closest other public school is Central Middle School, roughly 0.3 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Central High School operates from an outer-ring location.

Looking at the recent track record. Central High School's enrollment has decreased 18% since 2018, when it stood at 1,225 (now 999). Class-load math has fell: from 21.9:1 in 2018 to 18.2:1 in 2025.

On the community side, members of the Central High School community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.