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Central High

Public Grades 9-12

205^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 248 South Carolina High Schools

Better than 17% of South Carolina high schools

Summary

Central High in Pageland, SC, serves approximately 657 students in grades 9-12 within the Chesterfield 01 school district, a rural community where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. The school has experienced a significant decline over the past decade, falling from a 3-star rating (59th percentile) in 2016-2017 to a consistent 1-star rating (17th percentile) in recent years, placing it 203rd out of 245 high schools statewide.

Academic performance at Central High lags well behind nearby schools. In Algebra 1, only 26.9% of students are proficient, compared to 73.3% at Chesterfield High (just 15 miles away in the same district), 69.8% at Andrew Jackson High, and 73.0% at Buford High. English 1 proficiency shows a similar gap at 42.6% versus 67.3%, 81.7%, and 70.6% respectively. The school's graduation rate of 77.3% also trails the state average of 86.7% and Buford High's 91.8%. Chronic absenteeism affects 31.4% of students, nearly double the rate at Chesterfield High (17.6%).

There are some encouraging signs. The dropout rate has improved dramatically from 7.3% to 1.4%, now below state averages. English 2 proficiency (73.5%) approaches the state average (83.8%), suggesting some instructional strengths. However, Central High spends less per student ($12,551) than its higher-performing neighbors (Chesterfield High at $14,029, Andrew Jackson at $15,668, Buford at $16,220) and maintains a higher student-teacher ratio of 16:1. The dramatic gap between Central High and Chesterfield High—same district, similar demographics—suggests school-level factors like leadership, teacher quality, and resource allocation within the district may be key drivers. Additional investment in staffing and targeted interventions for math instruction and attendance could help reverse the school's decade-long decline.

657

Students ?

16.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,551

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 Zion Church Road
Pageland, SC 29728

(843) 672-6115

District: Chesterfield 01

Feeder schools for Central High:

Elementary:	Jefferson Elementary
	Pageland Elementary
	Petersburg Primary
Middle:	New Heights Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.2%

African American:

35.3%

Hispanic:

18.4%

See top rated South Carolina high schools

Compare Central High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 49th percentile in 2016 → 17th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (54% vs 69% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the South Carolina average (77% vs 87%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg59%

South Carolina avg69%

205^th of 248

South Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 32 pts since 2016

From bottom 49% (2016) to bottom 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4High Schools in the Chesterfield 01

59^th of 75Chesterfield 01 among South 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	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	22.4	205 of 248	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.2	198 of 240	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.4	201 of 243	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.4	177 of 237	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.6	195 of 226	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.4	150 of 227	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.5	128 of 225	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.3	127 of 216	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	45.8	91 of 223	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	42.3	117 of 231	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.0	127 of 232	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	39.7	133 of 210	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	32.4	147 of 203	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	35.7	145 of 202	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	32.9	141 of 199	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	39.7	139 of 199	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	54.3	101 of 188	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	34.2	141 of 185	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	56.8	106 of 191	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	66.8	58 of 191	69.6%	★★★★☆
2005	55.8	110 of 187	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.6	182 of 200	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	20.6	176 of 196	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.6	176 of 197	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.9	158 of 199	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.0	185 of 190	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	30.4	130 of 178	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.7	96 of 184	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.0	92 of 183	49.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.3	200 of 229	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.5	201 of 229	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.2	192 of 231	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.7	183 of 223	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.8	196 of 220	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.5	147 of 213	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.9	90 of 213	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.7	92 of 210	56.2%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	7.8	145 of 155	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	36.0	129 of 158	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.3	112 of 124	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.3	73 of 122	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.1	104 of 122	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.3	68 of 119	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.4	50 of 108	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.2	39 of 86	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.0	55 of 80	31.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.8	209 of 241	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.8	199 of 230	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.0	193 of 235	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.8	181 of 226	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.8	199 of 220	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	38.4	130 of 213	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.6	101 of 217	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.7	121 of 214	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.6	179 of 233	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.9	189 of 228	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.2	190 of 234	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.8	167 of 229	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.4	198 of 224	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.5	156 of 215	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.3	149 of 218	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.2	153 of 213	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.1	120 of 203	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	18.0	173 of 200	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	179 of 202	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.3	173 of 197	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.8	183 of 192	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	31.8	134 of 189	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.9	115 of 191	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.4	141 of 185	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

White (2026)41st percentile+24 vs school

Male (2026)23rd percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)13th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)13th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)10th percentile-8 vs school

African American (2026)9th percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)6th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English 273%-10 vs state

U.S. History and the Constitution51%-12 vs state

Biology 1/Applied Biology 243%-18 vs state

Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 227%-38 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2026)	EOCEP Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 (2026)	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution (2026)	EOCEP English 2 (2026)	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 (2024)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	EOCEP Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 End of Course	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution End of Course	EOCEP English 2 End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Central High	Public	9-12	200 Zion Church Road	Pageland	29728	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 672-6115	657	41	16.0	100.0%	251 (38.2%)	232 (35.3%)	121 (18.4%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.0%)	22.4	205^th of 248 public high schools	17.3%		19.2	198^th of 240 public high schools	17.5%	7	26.9	42.6	50.7	73.5	$12,551	$1,067	$872	$1,940	$8,815	$1,797	$10,612
Buford High	Public	9-12	4290 Tabernacle Road	Lancaster	29720	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 286-7068	532	45	11.8	55.8%	454 (85.3%)	38 (7.1%)	22 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.0%)	69	68^th of 248 public high schools	72.6%		63.3	68^th of 240 public high schools	71.7%			70.6	64.7	87.2	$16,220	$416	$198	$614	$13,001	$2,605	$15,606
Chesterfield High	Public	9-12	401 North Page Street	Chesterfield	29709	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 623-2161	485	35	13.8	100.0%	310 (63.9%)	116 (23.9%)	27 (5.6%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.6%)	56.8	109^th of 248 public high schools	56.0%		45.6	122^nd of 240 public high schools	49.2%	13		67.3	66.4	79.7	$14,029	$881	$759	$1,641	$10,308	$2,081	$12,389
Andrew Jackson High	Public	9-12	6925 Kershaw-Camden Highway	Kershaw	29067	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 475-2381	557	49	11.4	61.3%	375 (67.3%)	127 (22.8%)	19 (3.4%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.9%)	69.3	66^th of 248 public high schools	73.4%		59.9	78^th of 240 public high schools	67.5%	12		81.7	63.1	84.3	$15,668	$363	$136	$499	$12,183	$2,986	$15,169

Frequently Asked Questions about Central High

Is Central High a good school?

Central High ranks in the bottom 17.3% of South Carolina high schools.

What district is Central High in?

Chesterfield 01

What schools feed into Central High?

Central High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Jefferson Elementary
Elementary : Pageland Elementary
Elementary : Petersburg Primary
Middle : New Heights Middle

What is the racial makeup of Central High?

Students at Central High are 38% White, 35% African American, 18% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Central High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 657 students attended Central High.

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

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