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Central High

Q: Is Central High a good school?

Central High ranks 200 th of 367 Missouri high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

200^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 367 Missouri High Schools

Better than 46% of Missouri high schools

Summary

Central High is a public high school located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,315 students. The school is part of the Cape Girardeau 63 school district, which is ranked 197 out of 367 districts in Missouri and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central High faces several challenges, including underperformance on state assessments, particularly in subjects like Algebra I, Biology I, and Government, where proficiency rates are below the state and district averages. However, the school excels in Algebra II, with proficiency rates significantly higher than the state average. The school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated, ranging from 84.8% to 89.1% in recent years, and its dropout rate has also varied, from 2.7% to 3.8%. Central High's performance varies across different student subgroups, with a strong ranking for English Language Learner students but a low ranking for Special Education students. The school also experiences high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 17.7% to 28.7%, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages.

When compared to nearby schools, Central High generally outperforms Oak Ridge High, Thomas W. Kelly High, and Chaffee Junior-Senior High on academic measures, but lags behind Jackson Senior High, a larger school in the neighboring Jackson R-II district. Central High also serves a significantly higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students, with 100% of its students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, compared to the nearby schools, which range from 34% to 59%.

1,278

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,005

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1000 S Silver Springs Rd
Cape Girardeau, MO 63703-7511

(573) 335-8228

District: Cape Girardeau 63

Feeder schools for Central High:

Elementary:	Alma Schrader Elementary
	Blanchard Elementary
	Clippard Elementary
	Franklin Elementary
	More...
	Jefferson Elementary
Middle:	Central Junior High
	Central Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.6%

African American:

31.7%

Two or more races:

10.6%

See top rated Missouri high schools

Compare Central High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 63rd percentile in 2024 → 46th in 2025

Strengths

✓90% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Missouri average (38% vs 45% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 63rd-percentile peak (2024) to 46th (2025)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg39%

Missouri avg45%

200^th of 367

Missouri public high schools ?

Bottom 46%▲ up 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 41% (2015) to bottom 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

197^th of 367Cape Girardeau 63 among Missouri 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	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	41.3	200 of 367	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.2	140 of 378	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.1	162 of 352	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.2	171 of 361	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.6	183 of 358	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.8	318 of 460	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.2	312 of 468	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	30.6	320 of 404	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	44.9	227 of 401	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	43.4	297 of 504	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	37.2	365 of 521	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	45.0	302 of 523	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	18.1	477 of 522	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	24.8	451 of 528	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	42.4	322 of 516	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	11.9	470 of 507	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	58.3	218 of 539	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.2	148 of 538	72.5%	★★★★☆
2006	67.4	123 of 534	77.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	38.7	65 of 105	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.5	84 of 105	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	49.6	35 of 99	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.5	43 of 105	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	26.3	83 of 96	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.7	80 of 106	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.5	101 of 111	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2022	50.2	42 of 111	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.6	61 of 129	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.4	55 of 103	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	87.4	6 of 53	88.7%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2024	73.2	10 of 47	78.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	45.0	35 of 74	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.9	29 of 70	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	26.6	70 of 91	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	63.4	25 of 84	70.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	69.8	48 of 279	82.8%	★★★★☆
2024	79.7	21 of 274	92.3%	★★★★★
2023	77.3	29 of 268	89.2%	★★★★☆
2022	83.8	21 of 250	91.6%	★★★★★
2021	80.7	23 of 255	91.0%	★★★★★
2019	50.8	149 of 368	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	24.6	325 of 382	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2023	40.3	18 of 34	47.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	26.0	20 of 28	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.1	12 of 23	47.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	19.1	55 of 59	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.6	51 of 52	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	21.4	123 of 138	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.7	69 of 135	48.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.2	60 of 127	52.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	53.9	107 of 306	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.2	53 of 321	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	63.8	57 of 302	81.1%	★★★★☆
2022	59.4	77 of 310	75.2%	★★★★☆
2021	58.4	81 of 309	73.8%	★★★★☆
2019	51.9	152 of 430	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.4	124 of 440	71.8%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)89th percentile+43 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)83rd percentile+37 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2024)79th percentile+16 vs school

White (2025)65th percentile+20 vs school

Disabled (2022)62nd percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2025)53rd percentile+7 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)47th percentile-7 vs school

African American (2025)38th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2025)11th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Algebra II89%+31 vs state

English II48%-5 vs state

Government32%-8 vs state

Algebra I32%-14 vs state

Biology I31%-6 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, August 31, 2012

The faculty at CHS are fantastic. They are well trained, caring, and very well qualified to teach the diversified student body. The high school has a lot of opportunities for my children to participate in during and after school. I'm very pleased to have my kids attend this high school. Close Quote

Schools Near Central High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Mathematics (2025)			MAP Science (2025)	MAP English Language Arts (2025)			MAP Algebra I (2025)	MAP Biology I (2025)	MAP English II (2025)	MAP Algebra II (2025)	MAP Government (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	MAP Algebra II End of Course	MAP Government End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central High	Public	9-12	1000 S Silver Springs Rd	Cape Girardeau	63703	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	No	(573) 335-8228	1,278	89	14.2	100.0%	608 (47.6%)	405 (31.7%)	102 (8.0%)	27 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	135 (10.6%)	41.3	200^th of 367 public high schools	45.5%		51.2	140^th of 378 public high schools	63.0%	60								31.9	31.2	48.1	88.8	32.5	$14,005	$1,288	$12,717
Cape Girardeau Car Technical Center	Public	9-12	1080 S Silver Springs Rd	Cape Girardeau	63703	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	No	(573) 334-0826	0	23	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Girardot Center For Youth	Public	5-12	609 N Middle	Cape Girardeau	63702	Cape Girardeau County	Division Of Youth Service	No	No	No	No	(573) 290-5860	24	4	6.0	87.5%	9 (37.5%)	11 (45.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (16.7%)								(n/a)
Scott City High	Public	9-12	3000 Main St	Scott City	63780	Scott County	Scott City R-I	No	No	No	No	(573) 264-2131	268	21	12.4	48.9%	247 (92.2%)	4 (1.5%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.2%)								(n/a)								34.6					$12,744	$656	$12,088
Chaffee Junior-Senior High	Public	7-12	517 W Yoakum Ave	Chaffee	63740	Scott County	Chaffee R-II	No	No	No	No	(573) 887-3226	269	24	11.1	54.6%	259 (96.3%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	12.3	322^nd of 367 public high schools	12.3%		23.6	290^th of 378 public high schools	23.3%	32			11.5	25.7		30.8	4.7	24.4	11.9		6.3		$12,260	$658	$11,603
Jackson Senior High	Public	9-12	315 S Missouri	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	No	(573) 243-9513	1,830	109	16.8	33.2%	1,655 (90.4%)	47 (2.6%)	50 (2.7%)	21 (1.1%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (3.0%)	56.1	119^th of 367 public high schools	67.6%		66.1	75^th of 378 public high schools	80.2%	44								42.9	39.6	54.9	73.8	37.3	$9,324	$515	$8,809
Delta High	Public	6-12	324 Liberty St	Delta	63744	Cape Girardeau County	Delta R-V	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 794-2511	117	12	9.6	64.1%	112 (95.7%)	3 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)								(n/a)					31.9								$14,888	$540	$14,348
Oran High School	Public	7-12	310 Church St	Oran	63771	Scott County	Oran R-III	No	No	No	No	(573) 262-3345	165	13	12.6	40.0%	152 (92.1%)	3 (1.8%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.8%)								(n/a)													$13,664	$739	$12,925
Thomas W. Kelly High	Public	9-12	4035 State Hwy 77	Benton	63736	Scott County	Scott County R-IV	No	No	No	No	(573) 545-3541	297	25	12.0	47.5%	283 (95.3%)	7 (2.4%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.2	243^rd of 367 public high schools	33.8%		24.3	287^th of 378 public high schools	24.1%	44								14.5	40.0		4.9		$13,514	$152	$13,362
Oak Ridge High	Public	6-12	4198 State Hwy E	Oak Ridge	63769	Cape Girardeau County	Oak Ridge R-VI	No	No	No	No	(573) 266-3630	183	18	10.3	35.0%	179 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	46.8	25.0	25.1	21.9	15.7	15.0	25.1	25.8					$12,435	$1,304	$11,132

Frequently Asked Questions about Central High

How many students attend Central High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,278 students attended Central High.

Is Central High a good school?

Central High ranks 200^th of 367 Missouri high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Central High in?

Cape Girardeau 63

What schools feed into Central High?

Central High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alma Schrader Elementary
Elementary : Blanchard Elementary
Elementary : Clippard Elementary
Elementary : Franklin Elementary
Elementary : Jefferson Elementary
Middle : Central Junior High
Middle : Central Middle

What is the racial makeup of Central High?

Students at Central High are 48% White, 32% African American, 11% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

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Schools in Cape Girardeau, MO

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