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What's the biggest difference between Alexander Central High and what you expected?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,254
High
DISTRICT 713 · STATE 761
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ALEXANDER COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370009000028
Alexander Central High
223 School Drive, Taylorsville, NC 28681 · (828) 632-7063 · Alexander County
GRADES 09–12HIGH42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,254 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 55% of North Carolina public high schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- BBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded North Carolina public high schools
Student : Teacher
15.9:1
79 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 22.3:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
100%
1,251 students
DISTRICT 99% · STATE 82%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 10 | 1% |
| Grade 9 | 333 | 27% |
| Grade 10 | 310 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 308 | 25% |
| Grade 12 | 293 | 23% |
Student demographics
36%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 41% · STATE 71% · 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
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)English Language Arts
57.0%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
40.5%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 57 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 41 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all North Carolina schools, those numbers are about 51 and 52.
Source: NC EOG / EOC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
46.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.4%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-1.9pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 47% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 48% typical for North Carolina schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among North Carolina's top nor bottom 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 Alexander Central High
Alexander Central High's state test result (46.5% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Central High this school | 1,254 | 99.8% | 46.5% |
| South Caldwell High Hudson | 1,272 | 99.1% | 46.5% |
| South Brunswick High Southport | 1,154 | 99.7% | 44.9% |
| Tuscola High Waynesville | 873 | 99.7% | 59.2% |
| West Carteret High Morehead City | 1,095 | 99.0% | 57.4% |
| Pisgah High Canton | 859 | 99.7% | 69.3% |
Matched among North Carolina 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 Alexander Central High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 46.5% | #235 of 468 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 40.5% | #193 of 464 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 57.0% | #220 of 448 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,254 | #128 of 598 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.9:1 | #99 of 473 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 35.9% | #432 of 474 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 99.8% | #39 of 527 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -6.2% | #178 of 277 |
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
1,254
+25 (+2%) vs 2020
+24% since 1990-91, when it was 1,008
Student : Teacher
15.9:1
was 14.3:1
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 | 1,254 | 78.8 | 15.9:1 | 100% (1,251) |
| 2023-24 | 1,248 | 84.7 | 14.7:1 | 100% (1,245) |
| 2022-23 | 1,312 | 87 | 15.1:1 | 47% (615) |
| 2020-21 | 1,229 | 86 | 14.3:1 | 33% (408) |
| 2017-18 | 1,337 | 89.4 | 15.0:1 | 38% (504) |
| 2015-16 | 1,519 | 96 | 15.8:1 | 46% (695) |
| 2010-11 | 1,714 | 94 | 18.2:1 | 44% (757) |
| 2000-01 | 1,039 | 70 | 14.8:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 1,008 | 67 | 15.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Alexander Central High.
Since 2017-18: students down 6% (1,337 to 1,254); teachers down 12% (89.4 to 78.8).
About Alexander Central High
As a high-enrollment high school, Alexander Central High serves students in Taylorsville, North Carolina. The latest federal count shows 1,254 students in grades 9 through 12. Against the 761-student average for high schools in North Carolina, enrollment here is 65% higher.
Alexander County Schools is responsible for 11 schools, Alexander Central High included, with 4,344 students in all.
Alexander Central High's enrollment is 79% White. The remaining shares are 10% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, and 5% Black. Census estimates put the White share of Alexander County's population at about 87%. By the diversity index, Alexander Central High comes in at 36%.
The school's student-to-teacher ratio is about 15.9:1, with 78.8 full-time-equivalent teachers. Among high schools in North Carolina, the typical ratio is 19.6:1. Lunch subsidy eligibility at Alexander Central High is 100%. Across public schools in Alexander County, the average is about the same, 99%.
Measured against North Carolina public high schools, Alexander Central High receives a B. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Given its share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, Alexander Central High would be expected to post about 48.4%. Its actual average proficiency rate on state tests is 46.5%.
According to the American Community Survey, in Alexander County, median household income is about $65,354, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 17%, and about 9% of people live in poverty. A total of 12 public schools operate in Alexander County, serving about 4,344 students.
Taylorsville Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles away. A five-mile radius around the school includes 4 other public schools. Ranking the closest schools with test data puts Alexander Central High at 9th of 9.
The school's locale code, Rural: Distant, means it is in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
Federal data show 1,229 students in 2020-21 and 1,254 in 2024-25, a difference of under 3%. Staffing shifted too: the ratio moved from 14.3:1 to 15.9:1.
The allk12 site hosts a discussion page for Alexander Central High covering things like enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Alexander County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
36,412
Census ACS
Median income
$65,354
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
17%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
12
4,344 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Alexander County Schools
- East Alexander MiddleMiddle · 510 students
- West Alexander MiddleMiddle · 467 students
- Bethlehem ElementaryElementary · 435 students
- Hiddenite ElementaryElementary · 370 students
- Wittenburg ElementaryElementary · 294 students
- Taylorsville ElementaryElementary · 241 students
Other schools in Taylorsville
- West Alexander MiddleMiddle · 467 students
- Bethlehem ElementaryElementary · 435 students
- Wittenburg ElementaryElementary · 294 students
- Taylorsville ElementaryElementary · 241 students
- Sugar Loaf ElementaryElementary · 196 students
- Alexander Early CollegeHigh · 172 students
Nearby schools
- Taylorsville Elementary0.4 mi · 241
- Alexander Early College0.6 mi · 172
- Sugar Loaf Elementary3.7 mi · 196
- East Alexander Middle3.8 mi · 510
- Ellendale Elementary5.1 mi · 168
- Hiddenite Elementary5.6 mi · 370
Frequently asked questions
About Alexander Central HighWhat is the total enrollment at Alexander Central High?
Alexander Central High enrolls approximately 1,254 students in grades 09-12.
Is Alexander Central High an elementary, middle, or high school?
Alexander Central High is a high school covering grades 09-12.
How many students per teacher at Alexander Central High?
Approximately 15.9:1 students per teacher at Alexander Central High.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Alexander Central High?
At Alexander Central High, the student body is approximately 79% White, 10% Hispanic, 5% Black, 1% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Who oversees Alexander Central High?
Alexander Central High is overseen by Alexander County Schools in Alexander County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.