Central High School[1] (http://www.centralhigh.net) is the second oldest public high school in America. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Central was founded in 1838 and is a college preparatory, magnet school. Over 2,500 students attend grades 9 through 12. It consistently ranks first in the city, and state, and is among the top public schools in the nation for its academic standards.

The music department, comprising an orchestra and choir, is world-renowned, having traveled to such locales as Israel, London, Austria, and future trips are on the horizon.

Central High School holds the distinction of being the only high school (known as of this writing) that has the authority to confer academic degrees (as opposed to high school diplomas) on its graduates. (This is done if the graduates meet the requirements of such degree.)

During the 2004-05 school year, a $12 million renovation of the library is being undertaken, completely funded by Central's alumni.