Summary:
ZIP code 62838 has one high school, South Central High School, serving grades 9–12 and enrolling 183 students. In 2025–26, its graduation rate was 87%, compared with 90% statewide, while chronic absenteeism was 29%, versus 24% statewide. Most importantly, every reported test result with a comparable state score was below the state result, with gaps ranging from 7 to 23 percentage points.
Because it is the only school listed, South Central is the area’s sole point of comparison, not a local top or bottom performer. Its closest result to the state in 2025–26 was 11th-grade ACT Science: 41% proficient compared with 48% statewide, a 7-point gap. Its largest gap was in 11th-grade ACT English Language Arts (ELA), at 27% versus 50% statewide, or 23 points lower; 9th-grade PreACT results were also below state levels in ELA (47% versus 62%) and science (34% versus 47%). Looking across the three matched 2024–25 results in each subject, South Central averaged 37% in ELA, 13% in math and 32% in science; its average gaps below the state were 20, 24 and 18 points, respectively. Math had the widest average gap, while science had the narrowest.
Results have changed unevenly rather than showing steady improvement: 11th-grade ACT Science rose from 23% in 2024–25 to 41% in 2025–26, but 9th-grade PreACT Science fell from 43% to 34%, so the ACT gain does not represent a consistent improvement across grades. SchoolDigger’s ranking also remained below its earlier position: South Central moved from the 51st percentile in 2023–24 to the 23rd percentile in 2024–25 and 24th percentile in 2025–26, a 27-point decrease over the period. Other context includes a 9.6 student–teacher ratio in 2024–25 and 47% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25; these figures describe the school but do not explain its results.
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