Enrollment
320
High
DISTRICT 435 · STATE 761
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CHATHAM COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370075000306
Chatham Central High
14950 NC Hwy 902 W, Bear Creek, NC 27207 · (919) 837-2251 · Chatham County
GRADES 09–12HIGH42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL320 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 77% 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.
- A-Beats 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
10.4:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.1:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
317 students
DISTRICT 84% · STATE 82%
Community
0
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 | 83 | 26% |
| Grade 10 | 69 | 22% |
| Grade 11 | 78 | 24% |
| Grade 12 | 90 | 28% |
Student demographics
52%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 64% · 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
66.2%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
60.0%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 66 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 60 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
59.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.6%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.9pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 59% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% 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 Chatham Central High
Chatham Central High's state test result (59.5% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 3 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham Central High this school | 320 | 99.1% | 59.5% |
| Alleghany High Sparta | 395 | 99.2% | 51.7% |
| Richmond Early College High Hamlet | 294 | 99.0% | N/A |
| Brunswick County Early College Bolivia | 332 | 99.1% | 90.5% |
| Cape Hatteras Secondary School Buxton | 364 | 99.2% | 57.3% |
| Johnston Co Early College Academy Smithfield | 251 | 98.8% | N/A |
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 Chatham Central High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina | In Chatham County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 59.5% | #125 of 468 | N/A |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 60.0% | #85 of 464 | N/A |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 66.2% | #153 of 448 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 320 | #404 of 598 | #4 of 6 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 10.4:1 | #8 of 473 | N/A |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 51.6% | #347 of 474 | N/A |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 99.1% | #191 of 527 | N/A |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -22.7% | #31 of 277 | N/A |
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
320
-97 (-23%) vs 2020
-10% since 1990-91, when it was 357
Student : Teacher
10.4:1
was 14.4:1
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 | 320 | 30.8 | 10.4:1 | 99% (317) |
| 2023-24 | 326 | 31.2 | 10.5:1 | 60% (195) |
| 2022-23 | 364 | 28.3 | 12.9:1 | 48% (174) |
| 2020-21 | 417 | 29 | 14.4:1 | 28% (116) |
| 2017-18 | 414 | 29.3 | 14.2:1 | 41% (169) |
| 2015-16 | 386 | 29 | 13.3:1 | 37% (143) |
| 2010-11 | 457 | 32 | 14.3:1 | 29% (133) |
| 2000-01 | 405 | 29 | 14.0:1 | 10% (41) |
| 1990-91 | 357 | 29 | 12.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Chatham Central High.
Since 2017-18: students down 23% (414 to 320); teachers up 5% (29.3 to 30.8).
About Chatham Central High
Chatham Central High is a small high school found in Bear Creek, North Carolina. The school serves 320 students in grades 9 through 12 in 2024-25. For comparison, high schools in North Carolina average about 761 students.
Chatham County Schools has 8,987 students in 21 schools, and Chatham Central High is one of those schools.
At Chatham Central High, White students make up 65% of the student body. The school is also 24% Hispanic, 6% Black, and 4% multiracial. Chatham Central High's diversity index is 52%, against a US figure of 70%.
Chatham Central High operates with 30.8 full-time-equivalent teachers, a ratio of about 10.4:1. That is lower than the 19.6:1 average for high schools in North Carolina. About 99% of students at the school meet free or reduced-price lunch income limits. The 74% average for public schools in Chatham County is 25 points lower.
Measured against North Carolina public high schools, Chatham Central High receives an A-. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Chatham Central High sits between the top and bottom 10% of North Carolina schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate on state tests of 59.5% and a predicted 48.6%.
According to the American Community Survey, in Chatham County, the median household income is $94,317, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 49% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 10%. There are 25 public schools in Chatham County, enrolling about 10,374 students in all.
The closest public school, Bonlee School, is about 2.7 miles from Chatham Central High. A five-mile radius around the school includes 2 other public schools. Of the 6 nearby schools with scores, including this one, Chatham Central High is 1st on average proficiency.
Chatham Central High is in rural territory some distance from an urban area, a location NCES labels Rural: Distant.
2024-25 enrollment was 320, a 23% decrease from 417 in 2020-21. The school's ratio fell from 14.4:1 to 10.4:1 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
Posts about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs are welcome on this page. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Chatham County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
80,151
Census ACS
Median income
$94,317
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
49%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
25
10,374 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Chatham County Schools
- Seaforth HighHigh · 1,088 students
- Jordan-Matthews HighHigh · 848 students
- Margaret B. Pollard MiddleMiddle · 736 students
- Chatham Grove ElementaryElementary · 683 students
- Northwood HighHigh · 634 students
- Siler City ElementaryElementary · 591 students
Nearby schools
- Bonlee School2.7 mi · 290
- J S Waters School3.8 mi · 222
- Chatham Middle7.2 mi · 513
- Virginia Cross Elementary7.4 mi · 494
- Jordan-Matthews High8.3 mi · 848
- Chatham Early College8.9 mi · 113
Frequently asked questions
About Chatham Central HighHow many students attend Chatham Central High?
Chatham Central High enrolls approximately 320 students in grades 09-12.
Is Chatham Central High an elementary, middle, or high school?
Chatham Central High is a high school covering grades 09-12.
How many teachers does Chatham Central High have?
Chatham Central High employs 31 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 10.4:1.
How diverse is Chatham Central High?
Chatham Central High reports a student body of 65% White, 24% Hispanic, 6% Black, 1% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Who oversees Chatham Central High?
Chatham Central High is overseen by Chatham County Schools in Chatham County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.