Central High School

Central High School is a public high school in Bolivar, Tennessee, serving 663 students in grades 9–12 as part of the Hardeman County Schools district. The school has faced significant academic challenges over the past decade, consistently ranking in the bottom quarter of Tennessee high schools. In 2025–2026, Central ranked 311th out of 400 high schools statewide, earning a 1-star rating, and its 84.4% graduation rate falls below the district average of 86.6% and well below the state rate of 90.5%. Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern, with 28.3% of students chronically absent—about 10 points above the state average. On a positive note, the dropout rate improved to 4.5% in 2024–2025, below both the district and state averages.

When compared with nearby Middleton High School, the picture is mixed. Central's graduation rate is 8.1 points lower than Middleton's 92.5%, and its chronic absenteeism rate is higher. However, Central outperforms Middleton in several core subjects, including Algebra I, English I, Geometry, and Biology I, while trailing in U.S. History and English II. Central also spends less per student ($12,838 vs. $15,077) yet still earns a slightly better overall state ranking than Middleton—311th versus 323rd.

There are encouraging signs. Special education students improved dramatically, rising from the 2nd percentile statewide in 2020–2021 to the 60th percentile in 2024–2025—the only subgroup at Central to earn a 3-star rating. Algebra II proficiency has more than doubled over two years, from 8.0% to 19.6%, and female students showed notable improvement in the most recent year. Still, proficiency in most subjects remains 20 to 25 points below state averages, so families should know that despite these bright spots, the school faces deep systemic challenges. Reducing chronic absenteeism and raising the graduation rate will be critical to any sustained improvement.