Summary:
McCook Central School District 43-7 has one high school, McCook Central High School - 01, serving grades 9–12, with 118 students. Its reported graduation and dropout outcomes are stronger than the state’s, but achievement varies considerably by subject. The most important takeaway is that the school’s results are uneven rather than uniformly strong or weak.
McCook Central stands out most in Smarter Balanced English Language Arts: 79% proficient in 2024–25, compared with 51% statewide, a 28-point advantage. Its clearest shortfall is ACT Science: 22% proficient in 2025–26, versus 45% statewide, a gap of 23 points; ACT English Language Arts was also lower, at 35% versus 48% (14 points below). Mathematics was close to the state on the ACT, at 35% versus 34%, while Smarter Balanced Mathematics was 29% versus 43% statewide (14 points lower). Graduation was 100% in 2025–26, compared with 88% statewide, and the dropout rate was 1% versus 2% statewide.
SchoolDigger’s ranking rose from 89th of 141 schools (37th percentile) in 2023–24 to 58th of 166 (65th percentile) in 2024–25, then fell to 108th of 130 (17th percentile) in 2025–26—a 48-point percentile decline from the prior year; because the rankings and available test snapshots differ, this is not a like-for-like achievement trend. As context, the school’s student–teacher ratio was 12.5 in 2024–25, and 17% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that year; these figures describe the school but do not explain its results. With only one high school in the area, families cannot compare schools within the district, so the subject-specific results and strong completion measures offer the clearest picture.
Thank you for your feedback!