Little Rock Central High School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little Rock Central High School |
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Front entrance to Little Rock Central High School
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1500 Little Rock Nine Way
72202-5843
United States
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| Information | |
| School type | Comprehensive public high school |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Status | Open |
| School district | Little Rock School District |
| NCES District ID | 0509000 |
| CEEB code | 041422 |
| NCES School ID | 050900000607 |
| Principal | Nancy Rousseau (since 2002) |
| Teaching staff | 168.93 (on FTE basis) |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 2,506 (2021–2022) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 14.66 |
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| Classes offered | Regular, Career Focus, Advanced Placement |
| Hours in school day | 6.75 |
| Campus size | 18 acres (7.3 ha) |
| Color(s) | Black and Old gold |
| Fight song | On, Tigers! (based on On, Wisconsin!) |
| Athletics conference | 7A/6A East (2012–14) |
| Team name | Tigers |
| Rival | Little Rock Hall, Little Rock Catholic |
| Accreditation | ADE AdvancED (1924–) |
| Publication | The Labyrinth |
| Newspaper | The Tiger |
| Yearbook | The Pix |
| Communities served | Little Rock |
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Little Rock Central High School
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Arkansas
Location in the United States
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| Location | Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Area | 17.95 acres (7.26 ha) |
| Architect | Parks Almand, John |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Visitation | 44,293 (2005) |
| Website | Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site |
| Part of | Central High School Neighborhood Historic District (ID96000892) |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000268 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 19, 1977 |
| Designated NHL | May 20, 1982 |
| Designated CP | August 16, 1996 |
| Designated NHS | November 6, 1998 (#01000274) |
Little Rock Central High School (often called LRCH or Central) is a public high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. It is famous for being the center of the Little Rock Crisis in 1957. This happened after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that separating students by race in public schools was against the law. This important event was a big part of the Civil Rights Movement.
Central High is located where Little Rock Nine Way and Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive meet. Daisy Bates was an African-American journalist and leader who helped make the school integrated in 1957.
The school's history goes back to 1869 with the Sherman School. Over the years, it changed names and locations, becoming Little Rock High School in 1905. Until 1957, only white students were allowed to attend. In 1927, the city finished building the current school, which was the largest and most expensive high school in the country at the time. In 1953, it was renamed Little Rock Central High School. Today, it is recognized as a U.S. National Historic Landmark and National Historic Site.
Central High School teaches students from 9th to 12th grade. In the 2020–2021 school year, it had 2,476 students. It is part of the Little Rock School District. Nancy Rousseau has been the principal since 2002.
Contents
History of Little Rock Central High School
Building the School Campus
The current Little Rock Central High School building was finished in 1927. It cost $1.5 million and was built in the Gothic Revival style. People called it the most expensive, beautiful, and largest high school in the nation. Above the front entrance, there are statues that stand for ambition, personality, opportunity, and preparation. When it opened, almost 20,000 people came to the dedication ceremony. In 1953, its name was changed to Little Rock Central High School.
At that time, schools in Arkansas and other Southern states were legally separated by race. This meant Black and white students went to different schools. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court made a ruling in a case called Brown v. Board of Education. This ruling said that separating students by race in public schools was against the U.S. Constitution. The court encouraged states to integrate their schools, meaning students of all races should attend together.
The Little Rock Integration Crisis
Little Rock Central High School became famous during the Little Rock Integration Crisis in 1957. Nine Black students, known as the Little Rock Nine, tried to enter the school. However, they were stopped, even though the Supreme Court had ordered schools to integrate. This led to a big disagreement between the Governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus, and the U.S. President, Dwight D. Eisenhower. The whole world watched this event.
On September 23, 1957, the nine Black students faced a large, angry crowd of over 1,000 white people outside the school. This crowd was protesting against integration. The Little Rock police tried to escort the students inside, but the situation became violent. The students had to be removed from the school.
The next day, President Eisenhower took strong action. He sent 1,200 soldiers from the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock. These soldiers were ordered to escort the nine students into the school. Eisenhower also took control of the 10,000-man Arkansas National Guard. This was to prevent Governor Faubus from using them to stop integration. Soldiers from the Arkansas Guard then helped patrol the school for the rest of the school year. One of the Little Rock Nine, Melba Pattillo Beals, wrote in her diary that integration was a much bigger word than she thought.
This event was a major test of the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision. Many areas in the South had promised to fight against this ruling. The crisis at Central High showed the nation's determination to enforce civil rights for Black citizens.
In 1958, a federal judge decided to pause the integration order until the 1960-61 school year. The school board said it was too expensive to hire enough security guards to keep peace.
Little Rock Central High School was recognized as a historic place in 1977. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1982. The school is still used for education today.
In 2007, Central High School celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Little Rock Nine entering the school. A new museum honoring the Little Rock Nine also opened that year.
Teaching Evolution in Schools
Little Rock Central High School made legal history again in 1968. This time, it was about teaching evolution in public schools. A biology teacher at LRCHS, Susan Epperson, challenged an Arkansas law. This law said that schools could not teach the theory of evolution. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Epperson v. Arkansas that states cannot stop the teaching of evolution for religious reasons.
Central High School Today
Today, most of the students at Central High School are from minority groups. In 2021, about 52.7% of students were Black, 32.3% were White, 8.1% were Asian, and 5.5% were Hispanic.
Academics and Programs
Central High School follows the Smart Core curriculum set by the Arkansas Department of Education. The school offers many different programs and classes.
Central has an International Studies Magnet Program. It also has an EAST Initiative Lab Program. Students can join over 30 clubs for service, academics, and honors. The school has award-winning band and choir programs. There are more than 141 courses offered, including 35 AP and Pre-AP courses. Students can also learn 5 different foreign languages.
Student Publications
Students at Central High School create several publications:
- The Tiger is the student newspaper. It is one of the oldest high school newspapers in the country. It covers important issues for students.
- The Pix is the school yearbook. It was added to the Arkansas Yearbook Hall of Fame in 2010.
- The Labyrinth is the school's poetry and arts magazine.
Awards and Recognition
Central High School has been fully accredited since 1924. It has the oldest charter west of the Mississippi River in the Cum Laude Society.
The school has had many National Merit and National Achievement finalists. Students have won over $4 million in scholarships in recent years. Central has also had five Presidential Scholars. In 2020–21, there were 256 AP Scholars. The school's students do very well at regional and state Science Fairs.
The Drama and Competitive Speech program is very strong. It is one of the first chapters of the Arkansas district of the National Forensic League.
The school's choir programs have won many "Best in Class" awards. The Little Rock Central Madrigals won Class 7A Best in Class for Mixed Ensemble and Overall Ensemble several times.
Since 2007, Central has been ranked nationally among the top high schools by The Washington Post. In 2010, Newsweek magazine ranked Little Rock Central High School 94th in the nation.
Little Rock Central High School won the National Fed Challenge competition in both 2007 and 2008. In 2008, Central was the Quiz bowl division 7A state champion.
The Little Rock Central Band and Flag Line were chosen to march in the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Parade for Barack Obama.
Extracurricular Activities
The mascot for Little Rock Central High School's teams is the Tiger. The school colors are black and old gold. The school's fight song, "On, Tigers!" is based on "On, Wisconsin!."
Athletics
The Little Rock Tigers compete in many sports in Arkansas's largest school classification (7A). They play in the 7A/6A East Conference. The Tigers have teams in baseball, basketball, bowling, cheer, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling.
Little Rock Central holds many team and individual state titles and records:
- Football: The football team has won 32 state championships from 1907 to 2004. They hold the state's all-time win record. Home games are played at Quigley-Cox Stadium. The Tigers won the 1946 and 1957 High School Football National Championship.
- Cross Country: The boys' cross country team won 22 state championships between 1955 and 1982.
- Track and Field: The track & field team has a national record of 50 state championships (1908–1979). This includes an 18-year winning streak and a 10-year winning streak.
- Basketball: The boys' basketball team has won 20 state titles between 1912 and 2024.
- Golf: The boys' golf team has won eight state titles between 1948 and 1982.
- Soccer: The girls' soccer team won state titles in 2002 and 2003.
- Swimming: The girls' swimming and diving team has won eight state titles since 1952. The boys' team has won three state titles since 2018.
- Tennis: The boys' tennis team has won thirteen titles, and the girls' team has won seven.
Feeder Schools
Students who attend Little Rock Central High School often come from these schools:
Elementary Schools
- Booker
- Brady
- Carver
- Forest Park
- Fulbright
- Gibbs
- Jefferson
- King
- McDermott
- Pulaski Heights
- Rockefeller
- Romine
- Stephens
- Terry
- Washington
- Woodruff
Middle Schools
- Cloverdale Magnet Middle School
- Dunbar Magnet Middle School
- Forest Heights Middle School
- Henderson Health Sciences Magnet Middle School
- Pulaski Heights Middle School
- Mann Arts and Science Magnet Middle School
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
In 1998, the U.S. Congress created the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site. This site is managed by the National Park Service and other groups.
The visitor center for the site is across the street from the school. It opened in 2006. Inside, you can watch a film about the Little Rock integration crisis. There are also exhibits about the larger Civil Rights Movement.
Next to the visitor center is the Central High Commemorative Garden. It has nine trees and benches that honor the Little Rock Nine students. Arches with photos of the school show students of different backgrounds together.
Across from the visitor center is an old Mobil gas station. It has been kept as it looked during the crisis. At that time, it was used by reporters and news crews.
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Visitor Center. Main building
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U.S. Secretary of Education John King Jr. at Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in 2016
Notable Alumni
Many well-known people have attended Little Rock High School or Little Rock Central High School.
Public Service and Politics
- Little Rock Nine (1958–60)—Eight of the nine students from the 1957 integration crisis.
- Melba Pattillo Beals, one of the Little Rock Nine members
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders (ca. 2000), former White House Press Secretary and current Governor of Arkansas.
- Mark Pryor—Former U.S. Senator for Arkansas.
Arts and Entertainment
- Julie Adams (1944)—Actress.
- Matt Besser (1985)—Actor and comedian.
- Dee Brown (ca. 1926)—Novelist and historian.
- Rodger Bumpass (1970)—Voice actor.
- Gail Davis (ca. 1943)—TV and film actress, known for playing Annie Oakley.
- Dani Evans—Fashion model; winner of Next Top Model.
- George Newbern (1982)—TV and film actor.
- Jason White (1991)—Musician; guitarist for Green Day.
- Jeff Nichols (1996)—Director, writer, and producer of films like Loving and Mud.
- Kari Faux (2008)—Hip-hop and rap musician.
Sports
- Charles Clay (2006)—NFL player for the Buffalo Bills.
- Walt Coleman (1970)—NFL football referee.
- Joe Johnson (1999)—NBA All-Star and USA basketball player.
- Ken Kavanaugh (1936)—College Football Hall of Fame player and coach.
- Luis Peña (fighter) (2012)—Mixed Martial Artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- Houston Nutt (1976)—Former head coach of the University of Arkansas and University of Mississippi football teams.
- Brooks Robinson (1955)—Hall of Fame third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles.
- Drew Smyly (2007)—Baseball player.
