Summary:
Zip code 38008 contains one high school, Central High School in Bolivar, Tennessee, serving grades 9–12 with 663 students in the Hardeman County Schools district.
Central High School is the only high school in this area, so all comparisons are against its district and the state of Tennessee. The school consistently ranks in the bottom quarter of Tennessee high schools, earning a 1-star rating each of the past three years; its percentile improved from 16th in 2023–24 to 23rd in 2024–25 and held near that level at 22nd in 2025–26. Academically, Central trails the state by 15 to 24 percentage points in every tested subject, with the largest gap in English II (34% proficient vs. 58.1% statewide). However, the school is a relative bright spot within its low-performing district, outperforming the district average in five of seven subjects: Algebra I, Algebra II, Biology I, English I, and Geometry. Its biggest weaknesses versus the district are English II and U.S. History, where it lags by 3.6 points each.
There are promising signs of improvement. Between 2024–25 and 2025–26, proficiency jumped 7.9 points in Biology I, 5.8 points in U.S. History, and 5.7 points in Algebra II. Yet Geometry and English I both declined by more than 3 points. Chronic absenteeism is a serious concern: 28.3% of Central students are chronically absent, roughly 10 points above the state average and nearly 7 points above the district. The graduation rate of 84.4% is 6.1 points below the state, though the dropout rate of 4.5% is actually better than the state average of 6.7%. Per-pupil spending is $12,838, but no comparison data is available. In short, Central High School is improving in several subjects but remains far below state averages, and addressing chronic absenteeism could be key to accelerating progress.
Thank you for your feedback!