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Lawrence Central High School

Public Grades 9-12

365^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 429 Indiana High Schools

Better than 15% of Indiana high schools

Summary

Lawrence Central High School is a public high school located in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving 2,417 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the MSD Lawrence Township school district, which is ranked 281 out of 380 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of the MSD Lawrence Township district, Lawrence Central High School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Indiana high schools over the past 10 years, with its ranking ranging from 304 out of 388 schools in 2020-2021 to 365 out of 429 schools in the most recent 2024-2025 school year. The school's performance across different student subgroups is also concerning, with the school ranking in the bottom 25% of Indiana high schools for Female students, Male students, Hispanic students, and Low Socioeconomic Status students. The only subgroup that performed relatively better was White students, who ranked in the middle 33% of Indiana high schools.

Academically, Lawrence Central High School consistently lags behind the state and its own MSD Lawrence Township district in proficiency rates. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 25.32% of students were proficient or better in ILEARN/Biology, compared to 30.2% for the district. The school has also struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.8% to 40.5% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. When compared to nearby schools, such as Lawrence North High School, another MSD Lawrence Township school, it becomes clear that Lawrence Central High School is underperforming academically.

2,517

Students ?

17.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,975

Per pupil spending ?

60.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7300 E 56th St
Indianapolis, IN 46226

(317) 964-7400

District: MSD Lawrence Township

Feeder schools for Lawrence Central High School:

Elementary:	Amy Beverland Elementary
	Brook Park Elementary School
	Harrison Hill Elementary School
	Skiles Test Elementary School
Middle:	Belzer Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

50.4%

Hispanic:

32.2%

White:

10.3%

See top rated Indiana high schools

Compare Lawrence Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 17th percentile in 2015 → 15th in 2025

Strengths

✓93% graduate in 4 years — above the Indiana average (90%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (19% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (29% vs 17% Indiana)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school19%

District avg24%

Indiana avg42%

365^th of 429

Indiana public high schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Indiana High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the MSD Lawrence Township

281^st of 380MSD Lawrence Township among Indiana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	15.7	365 of 429	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.2	378 of 432	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.0	355 of 398	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.5	345 of 409	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.6	304 of 388	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.0	330 of 389	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.8	329 of 385	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.6	329 of 380	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	28.5	318 of 394	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.1	333 of 400	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	21.8	319 of 379	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	40.2	192 of 353	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.6	136 of 373	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	32.3	267 of 364	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	35.5	225 of 362	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	37.0	287 of 364	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	34.8	295 of 360	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	44.6	245 of 354	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	45.9	238 of 349	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	54.0	188 of 349	46.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	31.4	84 of 132	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.0	89 of 132	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.3	70 of 125	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.9	85 of 125	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	43.3	58 of 119	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	26.1	77 of 94	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.8	47 of 74	36.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	12.1	350 of 387	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.2	353 of 392	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.8	350 of 388	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	21.7	148 of 181	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.4	168 of 184	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.2	151 of 166	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.0	143 of 164	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	15.8	336 of 377	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.3	346 of 377	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.0	341 of 379	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	14.6	338 of 386	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.5	360 of 392	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.3	347 of 383	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	30.9	77 of 111	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.5	78 of 102	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.3	65 of 104	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	71.5	29 of 94	69.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	23.4	259 of 298	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.6	177 of 289	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.4	229 of 285	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	56.7	126 of 377	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.6	193 of 381	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.8	162 of 375	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.1	123 of 378	67.5%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2025)67th percentile+52 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)51st percentile+36 vs school

African American (2025)36th percentile+21 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)31st percentile+16 vs school

Hispanic (2025)18th percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2025)13th percentile~ school

Male (2025)12th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)11th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)10th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Evidence-based Reading and Writing26%-28 vs state

Biology25%-20 vs state

Mathematics6%-20 vs state

4.0

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, April 16, 2017

Lawrence Central has been a great experience for our son who is involved in AP classes and the performing arts. Outstanding teachers who genuinely care about student engagement are what sets this school apart from others. Close Quote

by a student on FaceBook
Sunday, August 14, 2011

I love Lawrence Central and highly recommend it to all families. This websites rating of 1 star is WAY off! If you don't believe me, visit the school. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, January 17, 2011

This is an amazing HS. All 3 of my kids graduated from this school and went on to Purdue University with no problems. The staff at LC really care about student success. I would HIGHLY recommend this school to everyone. Close Quote

Schools Near Lawrence Central High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	ILEARN English Language Arts (2025)			ILEARN Math (2025)			ILEARN Biology (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lawrence Central High School	Public	9-12	7300 E 56th St	Indianapolis	46226	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 964-7400	2,517	143	17.5	60.2%	259 (10.3%)	1,268 (50.4%)	810 (32.2%)	16 (0.6%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	159 (6.3%)	15.7	365^th of 429 public high schools	14.9%		13.2	378^th of 432 public high schools	12.5%	13	26.1	5.7							25.3	$11,975	$686	$11,289
Hoosier College and Career Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	7-12	5650 Caito Drive	Indianapolis	46226	Marion County	Hoosier College and Career Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(317) 495-6494	1,484	57	26.0	50.7%	991 (66.8%)	206 (13.9%)	160 (10.8%)	12 (0.8%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	110 (7.4%)	13.7	377^th of 429 public high schools	12.1%		16.1	365^th of 432 public high schools	15.5%	12	27.3	2.3	19.3	22.3	21.1	8.1	2.0	4.4	31.8	$10,503	$1,446	$9,057
McKenzie Career Center	Public	6-12	7250 E 75th St	Indianapolis	46256	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 964-8000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lawrence North High School	Public	9-12	7802 N Hague Rd	Indianapolis	46256	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 964-7700	2,799	150	18.7	51.5%	548 (19.6%)	1,201 (42.9%)	857 (30.6%)	21 (0.8%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	169 (6.0%)	27.6	314^th of 429 public high schools	26.8%		25.1	323^rd of 432 public high schools	25.2%	9	41.3	11.2							23.1	$11,467	$569	$10,898
James and Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy High School	Public, Charter	9-12	4352 Mitthoeffer Rd	Indianapolis	46235	Marion County	James and Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(317) 552-1600	587	41	14.3	68.8%	16 (2.7%)	417 (71.0%)	137 (23.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	15 (2.6%)	5.8	410^th of 429 public high schools	4.4%		5.9	414^th of 432 public high schools	4.2%	4	10.0	2.1							6.1	$16,283	$3,247	$13,035
Rooted School Indianapolis	Public, Charter	7-12	5750 E 30th St	Indianapolis	46218	Marion County	Rooted School Indianapolis	Yes	No	No	Yes	(317) 606-3500	150	19	7.8	74.0%	3 (2.0%)	133 (88.7%)	9 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.3%)	18.9	351^st of 429 public high schools	18.2%		13.5	377^th of 432 public high schools	12.7%	26	20.0	15.0	9.5	30.8	21.3	9.1	11.5	10.4	14.3	$17,225	$3,249	$13,976
Excel Center - Shadeland	Public, Charter	9-12	2525 N. Shadeland Ave	Indianapolis	46219	Marion County	Excel Center - Shadeland	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(317) 524-3910	404	14	28.8	64.4%	21 (5.2%)	279 (69.1%)	90 (22.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.2%)								(n/a)
Charles A Tindley Accelerated School	Public, Charter	7-12	3960 Meadows Dr	Indianapolis	46205	Marion County	Charles A Tindley Accelerated School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(317) 545-1745	309	24	12.8	72.8%	2 (0.6%)	245 (79.3%)	50 (16.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.2%)	21.2	339^th of 429 public high schools	21.0%		8.9	392^nd of 432 public high schools	9.3%	53	34.3	8.6	8.6	23.1	16.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	25.6	$19,128	$3,144	$15,984
Excel Center - Meadows	Public, Charter	9-12	3919 Meadows Dr.	Indianapolis	46205	Marion County	Excel Center - Meadows	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(317) 524-3750	396	11	36.0	81.3%	23 (5.8%)	302 (76.3%)	50 (12.6%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.5%)								(n/a)
Walker Career Center	Public	6-12	9651 E 21st St	Indianapolis	46229	Marion County	MSD Warren Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 532-6150	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)										$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Lawrence Central High School

What schools feed into Lawrence Central High School?

Lawrence Central High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Amy Beverland Elementary
Elementary : Brook Park Elementary School
Elementary : Harrison Hill Elementary School
Elementary : Skiles Test Elementary School
Middle : Belzer Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Lawrence Central High School?

Students at Lawrence Central High School are 50% African American, 32% Hispanic, 10% White, 6% Two or more races.

Is Lawrence Central High School a good school?

Lawrence Central High School ranks in the bottom 14.9% of Indiana high schools.

What district is Lawrence Central High School in?

MSD Lawrence Township

How many students attend Lawrence Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,517 students attended Lawrence Central High School.

Rate Lawrence Central High School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.