Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Central Haywood High

Q: Is Central Haywood High a good school?

Central Haywood High ranks in the bottom 3.0% of North Carolina high schools.

Q: How many students attend Central Haywood High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 63 students attended Central Haywood High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Central Haywood High?

Students at Central Haywood High are 76% White, 16% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

Public Grades 9-12

622^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 3% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Central Haywood High is a small public high school in Waynesville, North Carolina, serving grades 9-12 and part of the Haywood County Schools district. However, the school has consistently struggled academically, ranking in the bottom 10-20% of North Carolina high schools over the past decade and receiving a 0 or 1 out of 5 star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Haywood High's academic performance is particularly low for specific student subgroups, such as female, male, white, and low socioeconomic status students. The school's proficiency rates on end-of-course exams are significantly lower than the district and state averages, with only 18.8% proficiency in Biology, 13% in English II, and 25% in Math III, compared to the district's 62.4%, 68.2%, and 78.3% respectively. While the school's graduation rates have fluctuated in recent years, they are still lower than the state and district averages.

Interestingly, when compared to other high schools in the Haywood County Schools district, such as Pisgah High and Tuscola High, the performance gap is significant, with these nearby schools consistently outperforming Central Haywood High. The district also includes the high-performing Haywood Early College, which ranks among the top 20 high schools in North Carolina, further highlighting the challenges faced by Central Haywood High.

Students ?

8.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,725

Per pupil spending ?

93.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

62 Joy Lane
Waynesville, NC 28786

(828) 627-9944

District: Haywood County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.2%

Hispanic:

15.9%

African American:

3.2%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Central Haywood High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 6th percentile in 2012 → 3rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (19% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!Graduation rate below the North Carolina average (71% vs 88%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school19%

District avg70%

North Carolina avg58%

622^nd of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 14% (2015) to bottom 3% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4High Schools in the Haywood County Schools

54^th of 242Haywood County Schools among North Carolina 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	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	4.6	622 of 641	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.0	590 of 594	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.9	479 of 514	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	1.3	466 of 469	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	12.7	406 of 476	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	4.9	462 of 507	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.9	458 of 531	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	2.3	447 of 451	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	9.0	456 of 505	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	2.4	471 of 502	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	6.8	462 of 506	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	11.0	447 of 499	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	14.5	430 of 490	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	19.0	409 of 477	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	17.4	396 of 453	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	22.5	373 of 431	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	1.4	601 of 602	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	8.7	591 of 606	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.7	605 of 613	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.0	391 of 432	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.2	418 of 446	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.2	414 of 424	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	2.6	598 of 601	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.1	597 of 602	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.3	480 of 481	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.7	469 of 488	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	1.3	538 of 542	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	1.0	548 of 553	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	0.6	439 of 439	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	0.8	437 of 444	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	0.1	426 of 427	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)2nd percentile~ school

White (2025)1st percentile~ school

Male (2025)<1st percentile~ school

Female (2024)<1st percentile

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Math III25%-41 vs state

Biology19%-30 vs state

English II13%-47 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Central Haywood High and help other families decide.

Rate Central Haywood High

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Central Haywood High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Haywood High	Public	9-12	62 Joy Lane	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 627-9944	63	7	8.5	93.7%	48 (76.2%)	2 (3.2%)	10 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.2%)	4.6	622^nd of 641 public high schools	3.0%					(n/a)	18.8	13.0		25.0	$18,725	$2,409	$16,316
Tuscola High	Public	9-12	564 Tuscola School Rd	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 456-2408	873	43	20.3	99.7%	725 (83.0%)	16 (1.8%)	93 (10.7%)	7 (0.8%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	25 (2.9%)	62.6	214^th of 641 public high schools	66.6%		75.2	154^th of 640 public high schools	75.9%	60	57.3	67.1	54.4	68.3	$9,911	$860	$9,050
Haywood Early College	Public	9-12	185 Freedlander Drive	Clyde	28721	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 565-4000	177	4	39.4	98.3%	151 (85.3%)	1 (0.6%)	16 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.1%)	95.4	20^th of 641 public high schools	96.9%		96.4	8^th of 640 public high schools	98.8%	12	94.6		100.0	97.7	$7,730	$690	$7,040
Pisgah High	Public	9-12	1 Black Bear Drive	Canton	28716	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 646-3440	859	40	21.4	99.7%	702 (81.7%)	11 (1.3%)	111 (12.9%)	6 (0.7%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	24 (2.8%)	79.3	137^th of 641 public high schools	78.6%		76.6	147^th of 640 public high schools	77.0%	10	65.0	70.8	72.7	88.9	$9,758	$969	$8,789
Jackson Community School	Public	5-12	3770 Skyland Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 586-4328	50	4	14.0	88.0%	38 (76.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.0%)	4.1	625^th of 641 public high schools	2.5%		4.3	623^rd of 640 public high schools	2.7%	2		7.1	5.6		$26,010	$1,858	$24,152
Smoky Mountain High School	Public	9-12	100 Smoky Mountain Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 586-2177	881	42	21.1	97.7%	585 (66.4%)	8 (0.9%)	185 (21.0%)	6 (0.7%)	49 (5.6%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (5.3%)	47.2	327^th of 641 public high schools	49.0%		39.8	372^nd of 640 public high schools	41.9%	45	43.1	56.3	38.5	71.8	$11,017	$880	$10,137
Jackson County Early College	Public	9-12	404 College Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 339-4499	113	2	47.0	97.3%	74 (65.5%)	2 (1.8%)	18 (15.9%)	4 (3.5%)	6 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (8.0%)	80.7	133^rd of 641 public high schools	79.3%		87	103^rd of 640 public high schools	83.9%	30	56.4	96.5	64.3	93.8	$7,254	$111	$7,144
Cherokee Central High School	Public	6-12	200 Ravensford Drive	Cherokee	28719	Swain County	Cherokee Central High School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(828) 554-5030	693	91	7.6	99.6%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	693 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Enka High	Public	9-12	475 Enka Lake Road	Candler	28715	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 670-5000	1,051	64	16.4	99.7%	710 (67.6%)	40 (3.8%)	266 (25.3%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	26 (2.5%)	38.7	387^th of 641 public high schools	39.6%		42.5	355^th of 640 public high schools	44.5%	32	46.2	57.2	23.1	61.0	$9,892	$617	$9,276

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Haywood High

How many students attend Central Haywood High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 63 students attended Central Haywood High.

What is the racial makeup of Central Haywood High?

Students at Central Haywood High are 76% White, 16% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

What district is Central Haywood High in?

Haywood County Schools

Is Central Haywood High a good school?

Central Haywood High ranks in the bottom 3.0% of North Carolina high schools.

Rate Central Haywood High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina High School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Waynesville, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Central Haywood High!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

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.