Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Wisconsin rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Central High

Q: Is Central High a good school?

Central High ranks 179 th of 533 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

179^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 533 Wisconsin High Schools

Better than 66% of Wisconsin high schools

Summary

Central High is a 9–12 public high school in Salem, WI, serving 1,309 students in the Westosha Central Union High School School District, and it ranks 179th of 533 Wisconsin high schools in 2025–2026—the 66th percentile, with 3 stars.

Completion outcomes are a clear strength: a 97.5% graduation rate versus 92.0% statewide, and a 0.0% dropout rate versus 1.1% statewide. Chronic absenteeism is 12.8%, better than the state's 17.3% and far better than the Kenosha comprehensive schools, though Burlington High School (3.6%) and Union Grove High (7.2%) report lower rates. In 2025–2026 Central scored above the state average in all four reported 10th-grade areas: Social Studies 58.86% (state 48.25%), English Language Arts 49.39% (48.47%), Mathematics 48.18% (42.93%), and Science 44.55% (43.20%).

Statewide, Central sits ahead of most nearby comprehensive high schools—Wilmot High (58th percentile) and Union Grove High (54th) among them—while Lakeview Technology Academy, a small specialized school, ranks higher at the 92nd percentile. Only 12.3% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, among the lowest locally; per-student spending is $14,273 and the student-to-teacher ratio is 18.5. Results vary across student groups: low-income and special education students improved markedly in 2025–2026 but still rank near or below the state median. After a 2023–2024 dip, Central has recovered to the 66th percentile, though it remains below its 2018–2023 peak of 4 stars.

1,309

Students ?

18.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,273

Per pupil spending ?

12.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

24617 75th St
Salem, WI 53168

(262) 843-2321

District: Westosha Central Union High School School District

Feeder schools for Central High:

Elementary:	Brighton Elementary
	Bristol Elementary
	Paris Elementary
	Salem Elementary
	More...
	Wheatland Center Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.0%

Hispanic:

10.8%

Two or more races:

3.4%

See top rated Wisconsin high schools

Compare Central High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 69th percentile in 2016 → 66th in 2026

Strengths

✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the Wisconsin average (92%)

✓Above the Wisconsin median (66th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg50%

Wisconsin avg46%

179^th of 533

Wisconsin public high schools ?

Top 34%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

147^th of 432Westosha Central Union High School School District among Wisconsin 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	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	65.6	179 of 533	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.8	137 of 431	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.9	207 of 431	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.1	75 of 415	81.9%	★★★★☆
2022	75.2	71 of 391	81.8%	★★★★☆
2021	68.5	99 of 390	74.6%	★★★★☆
2019	75.6	71 of 400	82.3%	★★★★☆
2018	57.1	159 of 410	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.8	109 of 410	73.4%	★★★★☆
2016	62.3	126 of 408	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	68.3	136 of 466	70.8%	★★★★☆
2014	66.0	141 of 462	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	70.4	104 of 457	77.2%	★★★★☆
2012	66.5	156 of 452	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	58.7	242 of 445	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	63.2	199 of 450	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	55.4	255 of 438	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	61.1	197 of 437	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.8	116 of 281	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	61.8	145 of 292	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	49.1	210 of 287	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	91.1	9 of 71	87.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	63.3	169 of 461	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.5	103 of 358	71.2%	★★★★☆
2024	55.9	159 of 353	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.8	91 of 329	72.3%	★★★★☆
2022	74.5	63 of 343	81.6%	★★★★☆
2021	60.0	123 of 332	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.4	73 of 343	78.7%	★★★★☆
2018	65.4	104 of 355	70.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	72.5	39 of 187	79.1%	★★★★☆
2025	72.3	28 of 126	77.8%	★★★★☆
2023	68.1	27 of 97	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	59.0	34 of 86	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.2	23 of 68	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.3	16 of 86	81.4%	★★★★☆
2018	46.6	39 of 76	48.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	48.5	225 of 446	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	29.1	261 of 335	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.5	168 of 326	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	69.7	50 of 271	81.5%	★★★★☆
2022	62.6	59 of 250	76.4%	★★★★☆
2021	52.2	94 of 226	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.0	108 of 251	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	16.5	236 of 255	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	64.9	150 of 462	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.7	164 of 380	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.6	212 of 365	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	74.5	61 of 359	83.0%	★★★★☆
2022	69.1	71 of 347	79.5%	★★★★☆
2021	68.1	80 of 334	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	69.9	84 of 354	76.3%	★★★★☆
2018	41.2	222 of 373	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	47.2	53 of 102	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.3	27 of 71	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.4	26 of 35	25.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	39.2	192 of 333	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.7	86 of 95	9.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.1	36 of 55	34.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	52.8	168 of 344	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.7	133 of 285	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.9	184 of 300	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	75.1	52 of 271	80.8%	★★★★☆
2022	74.0	48 of 269	82.2%	★★★★☆
2021	61.9	79 of 266	70.3%	★★★★☆
2019	67.8	64 of 266	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	49.7	117 of 261	55.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Asian (2026)87th percentile+21 vs school

Hispanic (2026)79th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2026)68th percentile~ school

Female (2026)63rd percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)51st percentile-15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)50th percentile-17 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)48th percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2026)42nd percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies59%+11 vs state

English Language Arts49%~ state avg

Mathematics48%+5 vs state

Science45%~ state avg

3.5

2 ratings

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

Rate Central High

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Central High

Load more schools when map is moved

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)				ACT English Language Arts (2026)	ACT Mathematics (2026)	ACT Science (2026)	Forward Exam Social Studies (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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	ACT English Language Arts 10th Grade	ACT Mathematics 10th Grade	ACT Science 10th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central High	Public	9-12	24617 75th St	Salem	53168	Kenosha County	Westosha Central Union High School School District	No	No	No	Yes	(262) 843-2321	1,309	71	18.5	12.3%	1,086 (83.0%)	21 (1.6%)	141 (10.8%)	15 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (3.4%)	65.6	179^th of 533 public high schools	66.4%		64.8	137^th of 431 public high schools	68.2%	42	49.4	48.2	44.6	58.9	$14,273	$395	$13,878
Wilmot High	Public	9-12	11112 308th Ave	Wilmot	53192	Kenosha County	Wilmot Union High School School District	No	No	No	Yes	(262) 862-2351	840	52	16.1	—	713 (84.9%)	3 (0.4%)	89 (10.6%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (3.7%)	59.7	224^th of 533 public high schools	58.0%		55.9	192^nd of 431 public high schools	55.5%	32	49.3	44.7	43.9	50.9	$17,237	$367	$16,870
DOC: Robert E Ellsworth Correctional Cen ter	Public	12	21425-A Spring St	Union Grove	53182	Racine County	Wisconsin Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(262) 878-6000	0	1	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Union Grove High	Public	9-12	3433 S Colony Ave	Union Grove	53182	Racine County	Union Grove Union High School School District	No	No	No	Yes	(262) 878-2434	1,032	64	16.2	11.7%	897 (86.9%)	11 (1.1%)	83 (8.0%)	8 (0.8%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (2.8%)	56.4	243^rd of 533 public high schools	54.4%		51.3	213^th of 431 public high schools	50.6%	30	43.7	49.2	43.7	46.7	$14,434	$240	$14,195
Lakeview Technology Academy	Public	9-12	5533 26th Ave	Kenosha	53140	Kenosha County	Kenosha School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 359-8155	391	17	23.3	28.9%	247 (63.2%)	21 (5.4%)	83 (21.2%)	15 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.4%)	87.2	40^th of 533 public high schools	92.5%		97.8	4^th of 431 public high schools	99.1%	36	73.8	60.7	59.5	65.0	$13,024	$602	$12,422
Burlington High School	Public	9-12	400 McCanna Pkwy	Burlington	53105	Racine County	Burlington Area School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 763-0200	880	56	15.7	28.5%	682 (77.5%)	10 (1.1%)	145 (16.5%)	11 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (3.4%)	67.3	164^th of 533 public high schools	69.2%		66.7	124^th of 431 public high schools	71.2%	40	53.4	45.0	51.3	54.6	$14,346	$350	$13,996
Indian Trail High School and Academy	Public	9-12	6800 60th St	Kenosha	53144	Kenosha County	Kenosha School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 359-8700	1,902	99	19.1	40.1%	897 (47.2%)	187 (9.8%)	621 (32.6%)	61 (3.2%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	132 (6.9%)	44.1	327^th of 533 public high schools	38.6%		30.4	334^th of 431 public high schools	22.5%	7	48.5	34.3	35.1	40.7	$13,568	$597	$12,971
Hillcrest School	Public	6-12	4520 33rd Ave	Kenosha	53144	Kenosha County	Kenosha School District	No	No	No	Yes	(262) 359-6118	108	16	6.8	72.2%	18 (16.7%)	52 (48.1%)	29 (26.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.4%)	17.1	460^th of 533 public high schools	13.7%					(n/a)	0.0	0.0	50.0	20.0	$22,685	$1,187	$21,499
Bradford High	Public	9-12	3700 Washington Rd	Kenosha	53144	Kenosha County	Kenosha School District	No	No	No	Yes	(262) 359-6200	1,453	86	16.8	65.0%	443 (30.5%)	311 (21.4%)	580 (39.9%)	11 (0.8%)	5 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (7.1%)	12.4	470^th of 533 public high schools	11.8%		9	404^th of 431 public high schools	6.3%	66	26.4	16.4	18.4	20.4	$14,745	$920	$13,825
Tremper High	Public	9-12	8560 26th Ave	Kenosha	53143	Kenosha County	Kenosha School District	No	No	No	Yes	(262) 359-2200	1,417	74	19.0	44.2%	735 (51.9%)	158 (11.2%)	411 (29.0%)	10 (0.7%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (7.0%)	35.6	370^th of 533 public high schools	30.6%		21.1	370^th of 431 public high schools	14.2%		41.2	30.6	35.6	33.9	$15,103	$597	$14,506

Frequently Asked Questions about Central High

What schools feed into Central High?

Central High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Brighton Elementary
Elementary : Bristol Elementary
Elementary : Paris Elementary
Elementary : Salem Elementary
Elementary : Wheatland Center Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Central High?

Students at Central High are 83% White, 11% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What district is Central High in?

Westosha Central Union High School School District

Is Central High a good school?

Central High ranks 179^th of 533 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,309 students attended Central High.

Rate Central High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WIWisconsin High School Rankings

WIWisconsin District Rankings

Schools in Salem, WI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Central High!

Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2018–19 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 20, 2026

2016–17 through 2017–18 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 1, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataJul 16, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

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.