Central High School, Bruceton TN

Original Research by School Decision on Central High School

Central High School serves students from sixth through twelfth grade in the small Carroll County town of Bruceton, Tennessee. It is a regular public school within the Hollow Rock - Bruceton Special School District. The school’s enrollment is relatively small for a combined middle and high school, and its student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, as well as on students with disabilities or English learners, was not available in the records we reviewed.

State testing results from the TNReady assessments cover the school’s middle-grade students (sixth through eighth grade); high school assessments are not reflected in this data. In math, the proficiency rate was below the state midpoint. In English language arts, proficiency was notably lower. In science and social studies, proficiency rates were higher than in math and ELA, though still at a level that fell below the county median overall. When compared to other districts in Carroll County, Central High School’s overall proficiency rate across tested subjects sits below the midpoint of the cohort. A parent looking for a school with stronger academic outcomes on state measures may want to ask the school about its instructional strategies and recent improvement efforts.

Graduation rate data was not available for this school, so we cannot speak to how many students finish in four years. The school’s grade band (six through twelve) means it is a single building for both middle and high school grades, which can offer continuity for students but also means a wide age range in one campus. No information was found on the school’s course offerings, Advanced Placement or dual-enrollment pathways, or career and technical programs, so the breadth of academic options for high school students is unclear from the data at hand.

Bruceton is a very small town with a slow population growth rate. It functions largely as a bedroom community, with residents commuting to nearby employers such as ZLINE Kitchen and Bath, CSX Railroad, and larger towns like Huntingdon and Camden. The town has a park with a walking track, play equipment, and a yearly festival called Bruceton In May. Home values in the area are modest relative to state and national benchmarks, and the housing market has seen slight upward movement. The town and the neighboring community of Hollow Rock share the school district, and school facilities are integrated into the compact town layout rather than on a separate campus. No major recent district changes, such as curriculum overhauls or property tax shifts, were found in the district records we examined.

This is a small, rural public school that combines middle and high school in one building. Its state test results, especially in math and English, are below the county average, while science and social studies results are slightly stronger. The school’s overall proficiency index places it behind most other districts in Carroll County. Families considering this school may want to investigate the high school graduation rate, program offerings, and any support structures for students who need additional academic help, given the gaps in the data. The community is quiet and tight-knit, with limited retail and no public transit, and housing is affordable by broader standards. The school would likely suit a family seeking a small, local environment that is part of a stable, slow-growing rural town.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

80-89%Cohort of 38 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

389 schools plotted. 19 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grades 3-841%

School 41% · District 45% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median

English language arts

Grades 3-828%

School 28% · District 37% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median

Science

Grades 3-843%

School 43% · District 52% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median

Social studies

Grades 3-846%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 6 pts above state median

This schoolHollow Rock - Bruceton, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income39%3 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income14%Higher-income23%9 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income26%Higher-income29%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income51%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income7%Higher-income43%36 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income24%Higher-income47%23 pp gap