Central Elementary School

Summary:

Central Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving 623 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the MSD Pike Township school district, which is ranked 295 out of 381 districts in Indiana and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Elementary School faces significant challenges compared to nearby schools. The school has a significantly higher percentage of African American (65.97%) and Hispanic (23.6%) students, and consistently high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 29.3% to 36.4% over the past three school years. Academically, Central Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the district and state, with only 18.64% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in ELA, compared to 24.08% for the district and 38.6% for the state. Additionally, the school has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 64.96% to 78.81% over the past three school years.

While Central Elementary and the surrounding schools in the MSD Pike Township district all have relatively low performance compared to the state, there are notable differences. For example, Fishback Creek Public Academy, which is also in the district, outperforms Central Elementary by a significant margin in both ELA and Math proficiency rates. Addressing the underlying issues, such as high chronic absenteeism and socioeconomic factors, will likely be crucial for improving student outcomes at Central Elementary School.

Detail:

Public K-5

7001 Zionsville Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46268

(317) 298-2778

District: MSD Pike Township

SchoolDigger Rank:
893^rd of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,696

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Lincoln Middle School
High:	Pike High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.2

Number of students: 642

Racial breakdown:

African American:

65.7%

Hispanic:

24.3%

White:

3.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 75.9%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central Elementary School ranks worse than 88.4% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 8^th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the MSD Pike Township School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.44. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (65.7%), Hispanic (24.3%), White (3.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 75.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 17.2. 7 elementary schools in the MSD Pike Township School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Central Elementary School employs 37.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Elementary School is $10,696. 7 elementary schools in the MSD Pike Township School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Central Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

MSD Pike Township:

SchoolDigger ranks MSD Pike Township 295^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Central Elementary School?

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Rank History for Central Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	66.38	304^th	959	68.3%
2006	76.40	173^rd	961	82.0%
2007	52.49	550^th	985	44.2%
2008	58.93	458^th	996	54.0%
2009	12.37	926^th	1003	7.7%
2010	11.19	942^nd	1009	6.6%
2011	21.07	884^th	1025	13.8%
2012	25.06	850^th	1015	16.3%
2013	22.04	901^st	1035	12.9%
2014	37.57	772^nd	1036	25.5%
2015	14.55	944^th	1040	9.2%
2016	11.43	962^nd	1046	8.0%
2017	7.98	959^th	1033	7.2%
2018	12.16	919^th	1027	10.5%
2019	10.88	931^st	1031	9.7%
2021	8.07	939^th	1016	7.6%
2022	5.49	988^th	1020	3.1%
2023	7.55	961^st	1016	5.4%
2024	13.44	893^rd	1010	11.6%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Central Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	356	121	22	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	502
1989	336	103	18	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	459
1990	376	119	28	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	524
1991	426	137	26	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	589
1992	277	108	12	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	398
1993	295	107	17	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	423
1994	334	116	22	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	475
1995	280	143	26	1	1	n/a	n/a	4	455
1996	280	143	26	1	1	n/a	n/a	4	455
1997	293	155	21	9	0	n/a	n/a	3	481
1998	264	195	17	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	479
1999	250	191	14	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	461
2000	214	239	14	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	474
2001	198	261	14	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	481
2002	149	247	20	47	0	n/a	n/a	0	463
2003	149	247	20	47	0	n/a	n/a	0	463
2004	176	473	18	74	0	n/a	n/a	0	741
2005	143	514	14	95	0	n/a	n/a	0	766
2006	131	491	24	128	0	n/a	n/a	0	774
2007	62	462	18	143	0	n/a	n/a	76	761
2008	45	447	16	137	1	n/a	n/a	79	725
2009	48	420	14	125	0	n/a	n/a	71	678
2010	47	414	14	144	0	n/a	n/a	49	668
2011	50	431	14	131	1	2	45	0	674
2012	76	420	9	117	7	2	52	0	683
2013	66	428	11	133	4	0	43	0	685
2014	66	426	7	135	4	0	36	0	674
2015	62	439	17	159	0	0	48	0	725
2016	48	423	11	160	0	0	43	0	685
2017	40	467	13	150	0	0	52	0	722
2018	43	436	5	145	0	0	43	0	672
2019	43	438	4	121	0	0	42	0	648
2020	32	441	8	147	0	0	36	0	664
2021	26	428	6	132	0	0	25	0	617
2022	28	473	9	129	0	0	26	0	665
2023	29	411	14	147	1	0	21	0	623
2024	23	422	16	156	3	0	22	0	642

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Central Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	502	27.8	18.0	8.8
1989	459	24.6	18.6	12.2
1990	524	26.6	19.6	6.7
1991	589	30.6	19.2	8
1992	398	22.8	17.4	5.8
1993	423	25.6	16.5	6.9
1994	475	27.6	17.2	5.5
1995	455	25.0	18.2	9.5
1996	455	25.0	18.2	9.5
1997	481	26.5	18.2	13.8
1998	479	26.2	18.3	15.2
1999	461	26.4	17.5	23
2000	474	27.5	17.2	28.7
2001	481	30.5	15.8	27.4
2002	463	32.0	14.5	32.6
2003	463	32.0	14.5	32.6
2004	741	39.5	18.8	41.6
2005	766	41.0	18.7	51.2
2006	774	39.0	19.8	57.6
2007	761	n/a	n/a	55.6
2008	725	40.0	18.1	68.3
2009	678	40.5	16.7	70.7
2010	668	34.0	19.6	70.8
2011	674	33.9	19.8	75.4
2012	683	33.5	20.3	80.4
2013	685	30.5	22.4	80.9
2014	674	30.5	22.0	78.8
2015	725	31.0	23.3	80.3
2016	685	31.0	22.0	76.2
2017	722	37.0	19.5	83.2
2018	672	40.0	16.8	81.8
2019	648	39.0	16.6	78.1
2020	664	37.0	17.9	77.6
2021	617	70.3	8.7	73.9
2022	665	41.7	15.9	65
2023	623	38.6	16.1	78.8
2024	642	37.3	17.2	75.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Central Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	502	27.8	18.0	8.8
1989	459	24.6	18.6	12.2
1990	524	26.6	19.6	6.7
1991	589	30.6	19.2	8
1992	398	22.8	17.4	5.8
1993	423	25.6	16.5	6.9
1994	475	27.6	17.2	5.5
1995	455	25.0	18.2	9.5
1996	455	25.0	18.2	9.5
1997	481	26.5	18.2	13.8
1998	479	26.2	18.3	15.2
1999	461	26.4	17.5	23
2000	474	27.5	17.2	28.7
2001	481	30.5	15.8	27.4
2002	463	32.0	14.5	32.6
2003	463	32.0	14.5	32.6
2004	741	39.5	18.8	41.6
2005	766	41.0	18.7	51.2
2006	774	39.0	19.8	57.6
2007	761	n/a	n/a	55.6
2008	725	40.0	18.1	68.3
2009	678	40.5	16.7	70.7
2010	668	34.0	19.6	70.8
2011	674	33.9	19.8	75.4
2012	683	33.5	20.3	80.4
2013	685	30.5	22.4	80.9
2014	674	30.5	22.0	78.8
2015	725	31.0	23.3	80.3
2016	685	31.0	22.0	76.2
2017	722	37.0	19.5	83.2
2018	672	40.0	16.8	81.8
2019	648	39.0	16.6	78.1
2020	664	37.0	17.9	77.6
2021	617	70.3	8.7	73.9
2022	665	41.7	15.9	65
2023	623	38.6	16.1	78.8
2024	642	37.3	17.2	75.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Central Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,052 (9.5%)	$10,015 (90.5%)	$11,067
2020	$865 (8.1%)	$9,825 (91.9%)	$10,690
2021	$1,146 (10.6%)	$9,634 (89.4%)	$10,780
2022	$1,437 (13.4%)	$9,258 (86.6%)	$10,696

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Central Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 931^st of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 961^st of 1016 Elementary schools	4.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Central Elementary School)	22.6	11.1	11.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (MSD Pike Township)	32.3	22.3	10%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Central Elementary School)	32.3	18	14.4%
3rd Grade Math (MSD Pike Township)	37.1	28.3	8.8%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Central Elementary School)	22.1	12.5	9.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (MSD Pike Township)	32.5	23.4	9.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Central Elementary School)	28.4	9.1	19.3%
4th Grade Math (MSD Pike Township)	38.7	24.7	14%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Central Elementary School)	23.2	6.8	16.4%
4th Grade Science (MSD Pike Township)	29.7	15.5	14.2%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Central Elementary School)	17.3	12.9	4.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (MSD Pike Township)	36.7	24.3	12.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Central Elementary School)	26.5	9.9	16.6%
5th Grade Math (MSD Pike Township)	35.3	17.1	18.2%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Central Elementary School)	11.2	5.9	5.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (MSD Pike Township)	28	17.6	10.4%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	648	623	3.9%
African American	438	411	6.2%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	4	14	250%
Hispanic	121	147	21.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	43	29	32.6%
Two or More Races	42	21	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	78.1%	78.8%	0.7%

Schools Near Central Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)					ILEARN Math (2024)					ILEARN Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	7001 Zionsville Rd	Indianapolis	46268	Marion County	MSD Pike Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 298-2778	642	37	17.2	75.9%	23 (3.6%)	422 (65.7%)	156 (24.3%)	16 (2.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.4%)	13.4	893^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	11.6%		7.6	961^st of 1016 public elementary schools	5.4%	68	22.5	17.3	16.1		18.6	27.6	19.2	12.0		19.7	10.9	$10,696	$1,437	$9,258
Eastbrook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7625 New Augusta Rd	Indianapolis	46268	Marion County	MSD Pike Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 298-2784	521	39	13.4	77.4%	29 (5.6%)	274 (52.6%)	176 (33.8%)	11 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.8%)	15.5	862^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	14.7%		14.4	870^th of 1016 public elementary schools	14.4%	8	13.9	20.0	20.5		18.2	16.5	17.8	16.7		17.0	26.9	$11,571	$1,502	$10,069
Snacks Crossing Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5455 W 56th St	Indianapolis	46254	Marion County	MSD Pike Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 295-7200	806	36	22.3	63.8%	40 (5.0%)	527 (65.4%)	188 (23.3%)	8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.2%)	11.4	915^th of 1010 public elementary schools	9.4%		5.9	987^th of 1016 public elementary schools	2.9%	72	21.1	22.6	14.5		19.7	23.7	11.9	2.9		13.1	7.3	$10,018	$1,562	$8,456
New Augusta Public Academy - South	Public	K-5	6250 Rodebaugh Rd	Indianapolis	46268	Marion County	MSD Pike Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 387-4325	443	29	15.5	72.0%	28 (6.3%)	313 (70.7%)	69 (15.6%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.9%)	23.2	781^st of 1010 public elementary schools	22.7%		23.7	786^th of 1016 public elementary schools	22.6%	5	27.3	16.7	21.2		21.4	34.3	19.2	34.6		28.4	25.0	$11,925	$1,874	$10,051
Deer Run Elementary	Public	K-5	5401 N High School Rd	Indianapolis	46254	Marion County	MSD Pike Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 299-1266	578	34	16.9	71.8%	11 (1.9%)	362 (62.6%)	172 (29.8%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (4.5%)	13.9	886^th of 1010 public elementary schools	12.3%		12	897^th of 1016 public elementary schools	11.7%	11	10.0	18.3	20.3		15.9	24.0	16.4	17.7		19.4	22.8	$11,115	$1,952	$9,163
Guion Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	4301 W 52nd St	Indianapolis	46254	Marion County	MSD Pike Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 298-2780	579	36	16.0	69.6%	35 (6.0%)	358 (61.8%)	143 (24.7%)	9 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.7%)	26.4	757^th of 1010 public elementary schools	25.0%		26	769^th of 1016 public elementary schools	24.3%	12	32.6	24.8	23.6		26.8	35.8	24.8	26.4		28.7	22.7	$11,102	$1,403	$9,699
Eagle Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	6905 W 46th St	Indianapolis	46254	Marion County	MSD Pike Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 291-1311	497	30	16.7	64.2%	54 (10.9%)	304 (61.2%)	90 (18.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	47 (9.5%)	33.4	691^st of 1010 public elementary schools	31.6%		36.2	670^th of 1016 public elementary schools	34.1%	21	39.8	29.6	25.4		31.9	46.6	29.6	21.1		33.1	22.5	$11,423	$1,381	$10,043
Fishback Creek Public Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	8301 W 86th St	Indianapolis	46278	Marion County	MSD Pike Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 347-8470	480	30	15.8	50.4%	95 (19.8%)	260 (54.2%)	68 (14.2%)	13 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (9.2%)	78.5	198^th of 1010 public elementary schools	80.4%		63.6	370^th of 1016 public elementary schools	63.6%	172	60.3	53.3	63.2		58.4	65.1	55.6	57.4		58.8	39.7	$12,393	$1,542	$10,852
College Park Elementary School	Public	K-5	2811 Barnard Street	Indianapolis	46268	Marion County	MSD Pike Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 347-7400	473	30	15.8	72.5%	9 (1.9%)	280 (59.2%)	148 (31.3%)	17 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.8%)	15.4	865^th of 1010 public elementary schools	14.4%		13.8	875^th of 1016 public elementary schools	13.9%	10	29.6	18.4	11.1		20.5	34.6	14.5	3.2		18.6	7.9	$11,281	$1,498	$9,783
Jonathan Jennings School 109	Public	PK, KG-6	6150 Gateway Dr	Indianapolis	46254	Marion County	Indianapolis Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 226-4109	302	23	12.9	61.3%	9 (3.0%)	79 (26.2%)	196 (64.9%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.0%)	13.5	892^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	11.7%		13.1	883^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	13.1%	9	14.3	19.2	10.5	27.3	18.3	22.9	19.2	10.5	11.4	15.9	10.5	$16,186	$2,036	$14,151

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary School?

Students at Central Elementary School are 66% African American, 24% Hispanic, 4% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lincoln Middle School
High : Pike High School

Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks in the bottom 11.6% of Indiana elementary schools.

What district is Central Elementary School in?

MSD Pike Township

How many students attend Central Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 642 students attended Central Elementary School.

Rate Central Elementary School!

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

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.