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North Central High

Q: Is North Central High a good school?

North Central High ranks 87 th of 248 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

87^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 248 South Carolina High Schools

Better than 65% of South Carolina high schools

Summary

North Central High in Kershaw, SC, serves approximately 563 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Kershaw 01 school district, and has shown remarkable improvement in recent years, climbing from the 39th percentile statewide in 2023-2024 to the 65th percentile in 2025-2026.

The school's most impressive achievements are with students who often face additional challenges. North Central has earned a 4-star rating for both African American students (73rd percentile) and students from low-income backgrounds (75th percentile), showing that the school is achieving strong, equitable results despite serving a population where 68-76% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Academically, the school shines in U.S. History, with 73.5% of students scoring proficient—well above both the district (63.47%) and state (62.57%) averages—and has maintained English 2 proficiency above 85% for three straight years. When compared to nearby schools, North Central outperforms Andrew Jackson High in U.S. History (73.5% vs. 63.08%) and beats Camden High across nearly every metric, including overall ranking (86th vs. 142nd).

However, there are clear areas needing attention. Algebra 1 proficiency sits at just 57.93% compared to the state average of 73.95%, representing a significant gap. Chronic absenteeism is a serious concern at 32.5%—more than 10 points above both district and state averages—and the graduation rate has declined from 89.7% in 2020-2021 to 79.7% in 2024-2025. The school also shows volatile outcomes for students with disabilities, swinging from the 89th percentile to the 8th percentile in recent years. With a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.8:1 and per-student spending of $14,932, North Central has the resources to address these challenges, and its demonstrated success with historically underserved students provides a strong foundation for improvement.

563

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,795

Per pupil spending ?

68.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2023-24) ?

3000 Lockhart Road
Kershaw, SC 29067

(803) 432-9858

District: Kershaw 01

Feeder schools for North Central High:

Elementary:	Midway Elementary
Middle:	North Central Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.2%

African American:

20.1%

Hispanic:

12.6%

See top rated South Carolina high schools

Compare North Central High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 57th percentile in 2016 → 65th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the South Carolina median (65th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school73%

District avg69%

South Carolina avg69%

87^th of 248

South Carolina public high schools ?

Top 35%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 43% (2016) to top 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3High Schools in the Kershaw 01

27^th of 75Kershaw 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	63.5	87 of 248	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.7	111 of 240	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.6	148 of 243	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.3	100 of 237	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.5	95 of 226	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.7	80 of 227	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.4	69 of 225	69.3%	★★★★☆
2018	32.9	134 of 216	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	48.6	83 of 223	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	46.3	99 of 231	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	44.2	112 of 232	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	52.3	105 of 210	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	33.2	145 of 203	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	48.9	117 of 202	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	28.7	149 of 199	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.9	147 of 199	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	41.3	134 of 188	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	32.9	145 of 185	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	52.7	126 of 191	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	57.3	106 of 191	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2005	42.1	139 of 187	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.3	54 of 200	73.0%	★★★★☆
2025	43.2	115 of 196	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.2	140 of 197	28.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	72.5	30 of 199	84.9%	★★★★☆
2022	48.0	91 of 190	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.5	38 of 178	78.7%	★★★★☆
2019	60.1	51 of 184	72.3%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	15.3	135 of 147	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	86.4	15 of 139	89.2%	★★★★☆
2021	81.3	13 of 115	88.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.6	72 of 229	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.6	127 of 229	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.1	172 of 231	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	54.3	93 of 223	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.1	88 of 220	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.9	101 of 213	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.8	76 of 213	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.9	139 of 210	33.8%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.3	76 of 155	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.6	72 of 154	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.4	26 of 158	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	77.2	3 of 156	98.1%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	26.9	96 of 119	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.7	59 of 241	75.5%	★★★★☆
2025	54.6	86 of 230	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.0	151 of 235	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.6	83 of 226	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.1	70 of 220	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.3	64 of 213	70.0%	★★★★☆
2019	61.3	43 of 217	80.2%	★★★★☆
2018	35.7	130 of 214	39.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.9	91 of 233	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.6	99 of 228	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.6	114 of 234	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.4	101 of 229	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.6	105 of 224	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.8	56 of 215	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	55.2	69 of 218	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.1	124 of 213	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.4	111 of 203	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.4	127 of 200	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.1	170 of 202	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.7	113 of 197	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.1	110 of 192	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.3	117 of 189	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.4	96 of 191	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	14.5	164 of 185	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2026)76th percentile+11 vs school

African American (2026)73rd percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)69th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)61st percentile-4 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)51st percentile-14 vs school

White (2026)45th percentile-20 vs school

Hispanic (2023)19th percentile-38 vs school

Disabled (2024)8th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English 286%~ state avg

U.S. History and the Constitution74%+11 vs state

Biology 1/Applied Biology 258%-3 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, April 19, 2016

I love this school! They haven taught my son life skills and veryone is so nice and helpful. Huge turn around from 5 years ago! Close Quote

Schools Near North 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)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)			SC READY Mathematics (2026)			SC READY Science (2026)	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 (2026)
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/reduced lunch (2023-24)	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	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	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
North Central High	Public	9-12	3000 Lockhart Road	Kershaw	29067	Lancaster County	Kershaw 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 432-9858	563	38	14.8	68.2%	350 (62.2%)	113 (20.1%)	71 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.2%)	63.5	87^th of 248 public high schools	64.9%		49.7	111^th of 240 public high schools	53.8%	24									57.9	73.5	85.8	$16,795	$590	$559	$1,149	$13,065	$2,582	$15,646
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	$18,416	$435	$313	$748	$14,562	$3,105	$17,667
Camden High	Public	9-12	1022 Ehrenclou Road	Camden	29020	Kershaw County	Kershaw 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 425-8930	1,136	71	16.0	63.0%	502 (44.2%)	435 (38.3%)	143 (12.6%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (4.6%)	43.6	143^rd of 248 public high schools	42.3%		31.7	166^th of 240 public high schools	30.8%	23								53.1	56.7	55.7	79.9	$12,961	$638	$611	$1,249	$9,352	$2,360	$11,712
Dr. Gilbert G. Woolard Technology Center	Public	9-12	70 Innovation Lane	Camden	29020	Kershaw County	Kershaw 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 425-8982	0	19	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
McBee High	Public	6-12	264 East Pine Avenue	Mc Bee	29101	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 335-8251	577	47	12.2	—	402 (69.7%)	85 (14.7%)	66 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.2%)	34.3	167^th of 248 public high schools	32.7%		20.1	193^rd of 240 public high schools	19.6%	26	52.2	54.7	49.3	23.9	33.7	19.8	38.8		53.2	56.5	72.7	$14,155	$658	$707	$1,365	$10,698	$2,093	$12,791
Lugoff-Elgin High	Public	9-12	1284 Highway 1 South	Lugoff	29078	Kershaw County	Kershaw 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 438-3481	1,759	98	18.0	52.4%	977 (55.5%)	449 (25.5%)	197 (11.2%)	12 (0.7%)	5 (0.3%)	4 (0.2%)	115 (6.5%)	67.3	75^th of 248 public high schools	69.8%		52.8	101^st of 240 public high schools	57.9%	26								62.5	64.6	65.6	88.8	$11,573	$510	$444	$954	$8,776	$1,843	$10,619

Frequently Asked Questions about North Central High

What district is North Central High in?

Kershaw 01

What schools feed into North Central High?

North Central High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Midway Elementary
Middle : North Central Middle

Is North Central High a good school?

North Central High ranks 87^th of 248 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of North Central High?

Students at North Central High are 62% White, 20% African American, 13% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend North Central High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 563 students attended North Central High.

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 school spending dataNewOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 12, 2026

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

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 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.