Central Elementary

Q: Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 369 th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Central Elementary is a public elementary school located in Pierce City, Missouri, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 346 students. The school is part of the Pierce City R-VI school district, which is ranked 210 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Elementary has shown a mixed performance on state assessments (MAP) over the past few years. While the school has had some strong performance in certain grade levels and subjects, such as 5th grade Science and Mathematics, it has also struggled in other areas, particularly in lower grade-level Mathematics and English Language Arts. Compared to the state averages, Central Elementary generally performs below the state in most subject areas and grade levels, with some exceptions. The school's performance has fluctuated over the years, with a decline in rankings from a high of 171 out of 865 Missouri elementary schools in 2015-2016 to a low of 785 out of 1,052 in 2018-2019, before improving in recent years. Interestingly, Central Elementary has shown stronger performance among its low socioeconomic status (SES) students compared to its white student population.

Another area of concern for Central Elementary is its significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 12.8% in 2021-2022 to 19.5% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 46.18% to 54.91% over the past few years, indicating a relatively high proportion of students from low-income families. When compared to nearby schools, such as Wildwood Elementary and Mount Vernon Elementary, Central Elementary appears to be performing at a similar or slightly lower level, suggesting room for improvement to better align with the academic achievements of its neighbors.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

400 Gibbs Ave
Pierce City, MO 65723-0305

(417) 476-2255

District: Pierce City R-VI

SchoolDigger Rank:
369^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,248

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Pierce City Middle
High:	Pierce City High

Student/teacher ratio: 13.5

Number of students: 352

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.8%

Hispanic:

6.0%

Asian:

2.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 54.3%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central Elementary ranks better than 59.3% of elementary schools in Missouri. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.15. (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: White (87.8%), Hispanic (6%), Asian (2.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 54.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 13.5. (See more...)

Compare Central Elementary employs 25.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Elementary is $10,248.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Central Elementary 369^th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Central Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Pierce City R-VI:

SchoolDigger ranks Pierce City R-VI 210^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Central Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	48.37	580^th	1074	46.0%
2007	59.33	406^th	1080	62.4%
2008	55.98	456^th	1084	57.9%
2009	47.95	597^th	1053	43.3%
2010	72.93	237^th	1066	77.8%
2011	56.55	495^th	1088	54.5%
2012	55.96	509^th	1085	53.1%
2013	44.45	689^th	1108	37.8%
2014	42.08	708^th	1089	35.0%
2015	76.16	216^th	1058	79.6%
2016	78.00	171^st	865	80.2%
2017	71.56	277^th	1032	73.2%
2018	48.06	536^th	1045	48.7%
2019	30.66	785^th	1052	25.4%
2021	34.01	618^th	901	31.4%
2022	45.72	500^th	908	44.9%
2023	54.34	404^th	898	55.0%
2024	58.15	369^th	906	59.3%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	39.05	595^th	887	32.9%
2019	40.13	591^st	907	34.8%
2021	39.89	330^th	574	42.5%
2022	49.06	229^th	532	57.0%
2023	53.92	240^th	611	60.7%
2024	65.46	147^th	625	76.5%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for White students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	34.21	607^th	898	32.4%
2019	22.59	782^nd	917	14.7%
2021	21.24	572^nd	691	17.2%
2022	33.58	480^th	675	28.9%
2023	38.63	414^th	673	38.5%
2024	44.60	367^th	668	45.1%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Central Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	315	315
1992	297	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	297
1993	285	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	285
1994	298	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	298
1995	352	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	352
1996	352	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	352
1997	366	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	366
1998	400	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	400
1999	390	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	390
2000	328	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	328
2001	297	0	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	300
2002	306	0	1	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	318
2003	306	0	1	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	318
2004	269	0	1	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	279
2005	303	0	1	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	312
2006	319	0	6	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	340
2007	306	0	4	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	326
2008	279	0	5	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	301
2009	307	3	1	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	329
2010	350	1	3	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	367
2011	341	2	6	13	0	0	0	0	362
2012	324	2	5	15	0	0	1	0	347
2013	312	3	5	14	0	0	1	0	335
2014	314	4	6	13	0	0	5	0	342
2015	245	2	8	5	0	0	7	0	267
2016	252	2	15	5	0	0	9	0	283
2017	247	1	17	7	1	0	0	0	273
2018	241	5	18	10	1	0	0	0	275
2019	252	2	19	9	0	0	0	0	282
2020	253	2	13	10	0	0	0	0	278
2021	302	2	13	8	0	0	0	0	325
2022	306	1	13	16	0	4	0	0	340
2023	307	4	15	16	0	4	0	0	346
2024	309	5	8	21	1	6	2	0	352

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

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	315	21.0	15.0	n/a
1992	297	20.0	14.8	53.5
1993	285	22.0	13.0	61.8
1994	298	23.5	12.7	60.7
1995	352	24.0	14.7	52.3
1996	352	24.0	14.7	52.3
1997	366	25.0	14.6	36.1
1998	400	27.0	14.8	38.5
1999	390	27.0	14.4	53.1
2000	328	29.0	11.3	56.7
2001	300	29.0	10.3	60.3
2002	318	26.6	12.0	67.3
2003	318	26.6	12.0	67.3
2004	279	26.6	10.5	60.6
2005	312	28.1	11.1	60.6
2006	340	29.3	11.6	67.1
2007	326	27.9	11.7	73.6
2008	301	28.6	10.5	64.1
2009	329	28.6	11.5	62
2010	367	29.1	12.6	62.4
2011	362	29.6	12.2	56.1
2012	347	29.4	11.7	57.6
2013	335	26.4	12.6	56.7
2014	342	28.3	12.0	64.3
2015	267	23.0	11.6	63.7
2016	283	23.0	12.3	66.8
2017	273	22.7	11.9	62.6
2018	275	22.4	12.2	64
2019	282	22.4	12.5	63.1
2020	278	21.7	12.8	58.6
2021	325	21.7	14.9	50.2
2022	340	21.7	15.6	46.2
2023	346	23.6	14.6	54.9
2024	352	25.9	13.5	54.3

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	315	21.0	15.0	n/a
1992	297	20.0	14.8	53.5
1993	285	22.0	13.0	61.8
1994	298	23.5	12.7	60.7
1995	352	24.0	14.7	52.3
1996	352	24.0	14.7	52.3
1997	366	25.0	14.6	36.1
1998	400	27.0	14.8	38.5
1999	390	27.0	14.4	53.1
2000	328	29.0	11.3	56.7
2001	300	29.0	10.3	60.3
2002	318	26.6	12.0	67.3
2003	318	26.6	12.0	67.3
2004	279	26.6	10.5	60.6
2005	312	28.1	11.1	60.6
2006	340	29.3	11.6	67.1
2007	326	27.9	11.7	73.6
2008	301	28.6	10.5	64.1
2009	329	28.6	11.5	62
2010	367	29.1	12.6	62.4
2011	362	29.6	12.2	56.1
2012	347	29.4	11.7	57.6
2013	335	26.4	12.6	56.7
2014	342	28.3	12.0	64.3
2015	267	23.0	11.6	63.7
2016	283	23.0	12.3	66.8
2017	273	22.7	11.9	62.6
2018	275	22.4	12.2	64
2019	282	22.4	12.5	63.1
2020	278	21.7	12.8	58.6
2021	325	21.7	14.9	50.2
2022	340	21.7	15.6	46.2
2023	346	23.6	14.6	54.9
2024	352	25.9	13.5	54.3

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$714 (7.5%)	$8,748 (92.5%)	$9,462
2020	$1,369 (14.3%)	$8,190 (85.7%)	$9,559
2021	$1,552 (15.2%)	$8,659 (84.8%)	$10,211
2022	$3,189 (31.1%)	$7,059 (68.9%)	$10,248

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Central Elementary

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 785^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 404^th of 898 Elementary schools	29.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Central Elementary)	24.5	48.9	24.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pierce City R-VI)	24.5	48.9	24.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Central Elementary)	38.8	46.8	8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pierce City R-VI)	38.8	46.8	8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Central Elementary)	38.8	54.8	16%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pierce City R-VI)	38.8	54.8	16%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Central Elementary)	46.9	43.4	3.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pierce City R-VI)	46.9	43.4	3.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	282	346	22.7%
African American	2	4	100%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	19	15	21.1%
Hispanic	9	16	77.8%
Pacific Islander	0	4
White	252	307	21.8%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	63.1%	54.9%	8.2%

Schools Near Central Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)				MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (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	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Gibbs Ave	Pierce City	65723	Lawrence County	Pierce City R-VI	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 476-2255	352	26	13.5	54.3%	309 (87.8%)	5 (1.4%)	21 (6.0%)	8 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.7%)	2 (0.6%)	58.2	369^th of 906 public elementary schools	59.3%		54.3	404^th of 898 public elementary schools	55.0%	35	34.5	36.7	50.8		62.1	41.7	38.7	47.1		$10,248	$3,189	$7,059
Monett Elementary	Public	1-3	601 Learning Lane	Monett	65708	Barry County	Monett R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 235-3411	497	37	13.3	70.6%	247 (49.7%)	0 (0.0%)	220 (44.3%)	15 (3.0%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	9 (1.8%)								(n/a)	35.0					40.3				$12,664	$3,382	$9,282
Monett Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	1007 6th Street	Monett	65708	Barry County	Monett R-I	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(417) 354-2168	266	21	12.4	72.2%	134 (50.4%)	2 (0.8%)	111 (41.7%)	14 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.1%)								(n/a)
Monett Intermediate	Public	4-5	711 9th St	Monett	65708	Barry County	Monett R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 235-6151	312	21	15.0	68.3%	155 (49.7%)	1 (0.3%)	131 (42.0%)	11 (3.5%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.2%)	62.8	320^th of 906 public elementary schools	64.7%		50.2	454^th of 898 public elementary schools	49.4%	134		44.4	47.6		42.7		45.2	51.5		$9,884	$2,193	$7,692
Purdy Early Learning Center	Public	PK	201 Gabby Gibbons Dr	Purdy	65734	Barry County	Purdy R-II	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(417) 442-3216	37	2	18.5	59.5%	24 (64.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (32.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.7%)								(n/a)
Purdy Elementary	Public	K-6	201 S Gabby Gibbons Dr	Purdy	65734	Barry County	Purdy R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 442-3217	304	29	10.5	64.8%	178 (58.6%)	1 (0.3%)	106 (34.9%)	17 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	54.2	407^th of 906 public elementary schools	55.1%		41.4	549^th of 898 public elementary schools	38.9%	142		54.3	36.0	44.0	28.3				34.0	$11,534	$1,607	$9,927
Wildwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	214 S 11th	Sarcoxie	64862	Jasper County	Sarcoxie R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 548-3421	296	24	12.5	53.0%	236 (79.7%)	2 (0.7%)	37 (12.5%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.4%)	2 (0.7%)	14 (4.7%)	66.2	288^th of 906 public elementary schools	68.2%		59.7	358^th of 898 public elementary schools	60.1%	70	43.1	31.6	54.2		50.8	49.9		49.1		$11,283	$1,140	$10,143
Verona Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	101 E Ella St	Verona	65769	Lawrence County	Verona R-Vii	No	No	No	Yes	(833) 402-9580	164	14	11.5	50.0%	114 (69.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (22.6%)	8 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.4%)	1 (0.6%)	39.8	561^st of 906 public elementary schools	38.1%		40.4	566^th of 898 public elementary schools	37.0%	5			32.4	30.0				38.6	25.0	$11,613	$7,606	$4,007
Wheaton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	116 McCall	Wheaton	64874	Barry County	Wheaton R-III	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 652-7240	247	19	12.7	63.2%	181 (73.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.5%)	42 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (4.9%)	13.2	801^st of 906 public elementary schools	11.6%		9.6	826^th of 898 public elementary schools	8.0%	25	3.9	31.2	17.5		14.8	19.3		12.3	18.3	$9,126	$256	$8,870
Pate Early Childhood Center	Public	PK, KG-2	400 Terrace Dr	Aurora	65605	Lawrence County	Aurora R-VIII	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 678-1552	469	41	11.5	64.8%	394 (84.0%)	3 (0.6%)	57 (12.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.6%)								(n/a)										$11,060	$2,347	$8,713

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 88% White, 6% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pierce City Middle
High : Pierce City High

Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 369^th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Central Elementary in?

Pierce City R-VI

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 352 students attended Central Elementary.

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