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How has CENTRAL HIGH changed in the last five years, for better or worse?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,278
High
DISTRICT 539 · STATE 501
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CAPE GIRARDEAU 63·NCES 290712000186
CENTRAL HIGH
1000 S SILVER SPRINGS RD, CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO 63703 · (573) 335-8228 · Cape Girardeau County
GRADES 09–12HIGH13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,278 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
14.3:1
89 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.5:1 · STATE 12.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
100%
1,278 students
DISTRICT 100% · STATE 54%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 364 | 28% |
| Grade 10 | 318 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 300 | 23% |
| Grade 12 | 296 | 23% |
Student demographics
66%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 68% · STATE 52% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
MAP 2024-25 . % Proficient + AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
49.5%
MO avg 44.9% . +1.2pp since 2021
Math
41.5%
MO avg 43.8% . +9.8pp since 2021
What this means: On the MAP, Missouri's statewide test, about 50 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 42 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Missouri schools, those numbers are about 45 and 44. Reading and writing scores are up about 1 points since 2021, while math scores are up about 10 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Advanced | Proficient | Basic | Below Basic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 10.6% | 38.9% | 31.2% | 19.1% |
| Math | 21.8% | 19.7% | 24.0% | 34.3% |
Share of tested students at each MAP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
MAP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 49.5% | 41.5% |
| 2023-24 | 49.9% | 36.3% |
| 2022-23 | 54.5% | 35.6% |
| 2021-22 | 48.3% | 31.7% |
% Proficient + Advanced, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MAP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of MO schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
39.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
22.4%
based on MO schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+17.1pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 40% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 22% typical for Missouri schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 17 points, placing it in Missouri's top 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like CENTRAL HIGH
CENTRAL HIGH's state test result (39.5% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| CENTRAL HIGH this school | 1,278 | 100.0% | 39.5% |
| SIKESTON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL SIKESTON | 955 | 100.0% | 34.2% |
| MCKINLEY CLASS. LEADERSHIP AC. ST LOUIS | 610 | 100.0% | 77.4% |
| KENNETT HIGH KENNETT | 493 | 100.0% | 22.8% |
| HANCOCK SR. HIGH ST LOUIS | 369 | 100.0% | 45.1% |
| LAFAYETTE HIGH ST JOSEPH | 644 | 100.0% | 28.5% |
Matched among Missouri high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where CENTRAL HIGH ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 39.5% | #187 of 443 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 41.5% | #189 of 453 ▲ 27 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 49.5% | #186 of 382 ▼ 18 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +5.5pp | #74 of 231 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,278 | #75 of 561 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.3:1 | #188 of 343 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 65.5% | #16 of 343 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 100% | #16 of 455 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +10.6% | #68 of 151 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,278
0 (0%) vs 2020
+24% since 1990-91, when it was 1,030
Student : Teacher
14.3:1
was 14.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,278 | 89.5 | 14.3:1 | 100% (1,278) |
| 2023-24 | 1,315 | 89.5 | 14.7:1 | 100% (1,315) |
| 2022-23 | 1,341 | 89 | 15.1:1 | 0% (3) |
| 2020-21 | 1,278 | 87 | 14.7:1 | 100% (1,275) |
| 2017-18 | 1,156 | 80.1 | 14.4:1 | 54% (619) |
| 2015-16 | 1,100 | 88 | 12.5:1 | 51% (562) |
| 2010-11 | 1,199 | 96 | 12.5:1 | 45% (535) |
| 2000-01 | 943 | 62 | 15.2:1 | 18% (171) |
| 1990-91 | 1,030 | 65 | 15.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for CENTRAL HIGH.
Since 2017-18: students up 11% (1,156 to 1,278); teachers up 12% (80.1 to 89.5).
About CENTRAL HIGH
In CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri, CENTRAL HIGH is a high-enrollment high school. A total of 1,278 students attend the school, which covers grades 9 through 12. Against the 501-student average for high schools in Missouri, enrollment here is 155% higher.
The district, CAPE GIRARDEAU 63, has 4,310 students enrolled across 8 schools.
CENTRAL HIGH has no majority group; White students are the largest, at 48%. Smaller groups are 32% Black, 11% multiracial, 8% Hispanic, and 2% Asian. County-wide, 85% of Cape Girardeau County residents are White. The school's diversity index is 66%, meaning two students picked at random have a 66% chance of belonging to different racial or ethnic groups.
The school's student-to-teacher ratio is about 14.3:1, with 89.5 full-time-equivalent teachers. That is higher than the 12.2:1 average for high schools in Missouri. Lunch subsidy eligibility at CENTRAL HIGH is 100%. Across public schools in Cape Girardeau County, the average is 62%.
CENTRAL HIGH outperforms its prediction by 17.1 points. The model expects 22.4% for a school with its free or reduced-price lunch share in Missouri; the school's rate is 39.5%.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Cape Girardeau County show that the median household income is $68,464, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 33%, and roughly 6% of residents are in poverty. Besides CENTRAL HIGH, Cape Girardeau County has 26 other public schools.
PARKVIEW SCHOOL is the closest public school, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8. CENTRAL HIGH comes in 5th of 7 nearby schools on average proficiency.
Federal data place CENTRAL HIGH in the City: Small locale, which means it is inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.
Federal data show 1,278 students in 2020-21 and 1,278 in 2024-25, a difference of under 3%.
Discussions about CENTRAL HIGH may include school events, clubs, and volunteer needs. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Cape Girardeau County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
82,735
Census ACS
Median income
$68,464
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
33%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
27
11,025 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in CAPE GIRARDEAU 63
- CENTRAL JR. HIGHMiddle · 633 students
- CENTRAL MIDDLEMiddle · 623 students
- JEFFERSON ELEM.Elementary · 494 students
- CLIPPARD ELEM.Elementary · 383 students
- ALMA SCHRADER ELEM.Elementary · 332 students
- BLANCHARD ELEM.Elementary · 326 students
Other schools in CAPE GIRARDEAU
- CENTRAL JR. HIGHMiddle · 633 students
- CENTRAL MIDDLEMiddle · 623 students
- JEFFERSON ELEM.Elementary · 494 students
- CLIPPARD ELEM.Elementary · 383 students
- ALMA SCHRADER ELEM.Elementary · 332 students
- BLANCHARD ELEM.Elementary · 326 students
Other Central High schools
70 other US public schools in 32 states are named Central High. CENTRAL HIGH is the 24th largest of the 71.
- CENTRAL HIGHST JOSEPH, MO · 1,733 students
- CENTRAL HIGHSPRINGFIELD, MO · 1,428 students
- CENTRAL HIGHCHESTERFIELD, MO · 1,281 students
- CENTRAL HIGHPARK HILLS, MO · 605 students
- CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOLKANSAS CITY, MO · 519 students
Nearby schools
- PARKVIEW SCHOOL1.9 mi · 25
- JEFFERSON ELEM.2.0 mi · 494
- CENTRAL JR. HIGH2.4 mi · 633
- CENTRAL MIDDLE2.6 mi · 623
- FRANKLIN ELEM.3.1 mi · 241
- CLIPPARD ELEM.3.1 mi · 383
Frequently asked questions
About CENTRAL HIGHHow many students attend CENTRAL HIGH?
CENTRAL HIGH enrolls approximately 1,278 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does CENTRAL HIGH serve?
CENTRAL HIGH serves grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at CENTRAL HIGH?
The student-to-teacher ratio at CENTRAL HIGH is approximately 14.3:1 (89 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at CENTRAL HIGH?
At CENTRAL HIGH, the student body is approximately 48% White, 8% Hispanic, 32% Black, 2% Asian, 11% Two or more.
Is CENTRAL HIGH public or private?
CENTRAL HIGH is a public K-12 school, overseen by CAPE GIRARDEAU 63.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.