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Fords Prairie Elementary

Summary:

Fords Prairie Elementary is a public elementary school in Centralia, Washington, serving 448 students from kindergarten to 6th grade. The school is part of the Centralia School District, which is ranked 208 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Fords Prairie Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom quarter of Washington elementary schools, with significantly lower academic performance than the state and district averages in both English Language Arts and Math. The school's struggles are particularly pronounced for Hispanic students and those from low-income families, who make up a large portion of the student population. Despite relatively high per-student spending and a student-teacher ratio similar to nearby schools, Fords Prairie lags behind its neighbors, such as Edison Elementary, Oakview Elementary, and Washington Elementary, which generally perform better academically and have lower percentages of students from low-income families.

One notable exception is Adna Elementary School, located about 7.5 miles from Fords Prairie. Adna stands out as a high-performing school, ranking in the top 30% of Washington elementary schools and significantly outperforming Fords Prairie and the surrounding schools in both English Language Arts and Math. Adna's success, despite serving a similar geographic area, suggests that targeted interventions and support for Fords Prairie's unique student population could be key to improving the school's academic outcomes.


Detail:

Public K-6

 1620 Harrison Avenue
       Centralia, WA  98531-4533

(360) 330-7633

District: Centralia School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
942nd of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,503 Help


Students who attend Fords Prairie Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Centralia Middle School
High:    Centralia High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.4 Help
Number of students:  444

Racial breakdown:

White:
53.2%
Hispanic:
39.6%
Two or more races:
3.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  76.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Fords Prairie Elementary ranks worse than 80.7% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 3rd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Centralia School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.6. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Fords Prairie Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Centralia School District. Racial makeup is: White (53.2%), Hispanic (39.6%), two or more races (3.8%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 76.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Centralia School District. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fords Prairie Elementary is 14.4. 3 elementary schools in the Centralia School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Fords Prairie Elementary employs 30.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fords Prairie Elementary is $15,503. 3 elementary schools in the Centralia School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Fords Prairie Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Fords Prairie Elementary 942nd of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Fords Prairie Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Centralia School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Centralia School District 208th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Fords Prairie Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Fords Prairie Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 24.97 819th 1107 26.0%
2022 17.75 1004th 1169 14.1%
2023 25.34 910th 1169 22.2%
2024 21.60 942nd 1168 19.3%
See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Fords Prairie Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 36.10 195th 320 39.1%
See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Fords Prairie Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 37.12 547th 854 35.9%
2022 24.00 866th 1019 15.0%
2023 33.65 721st 1013 28.8%
2024 27.01 805th 1024 21.4%
See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Fords Prairie Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 27.75 736th 1008 27.0%
2022 18.00 947th 1100 13.9%
2023 24.86 852nd 1094 22.1%
2024 24.75 846th 1093 22.6%
See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Fords Prairie Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 23.52 793rd 1025 22.6%
2022 17.63 964th 1113 13.4%
2023 24.98 852nd 1099 22.5%
2024 20.39 925th 1099 15.8%
See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Fords Prairie Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 39.07 283rd 501 43.5%
2022 23.91 589th 694 15.1%
2023 32.86 447th 633 29.4%
2024 22.65 542nd 651 16.7%
See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Fords Prairie Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 23.80 753rd 943 20.1%
2022 17.04 922nd 1031 10.6%
2023 26.90 806th 1011 20.3%
2024 20.14 873rd 1009 13.5%
See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, 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.

Fords Prairie Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Fords Prairie Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 456 4 5 15 3 n/a n/a 0 483
1989 411 4 7 22 0 n/a n/a 0 444
1990 443 1 5 14 3 n/a n/a 0 466
1991 419 3 5 11 3 n/a n/a 0 441
1992 374 2 4 12 0 n/a n/a 0 392
1993 375 4 4 12 0 n/a n/a 0 395
1994 341 2 2 15 3 n/a n/a 0 363
1995 378 5 3 13 1 n/a n/a 0 400
1996 378 5 3 13 1 n/a n/a 0 400
1997 379 3 4 22 1 n/a n/a 0 409
1998 343 3 5 20 4 n/a n/a 0 375
1999 331 5 9 29 1 n/a n/a 0 375
2000 301 8 13 31 2 n/a n/a 0 355
2001 299 5 9 44 2 n/a n/a 0 359
2002 335 6 9 45 4 n/a n/a 0 399
2003 335 6 9 45 4 n/a n/a 0 399
2004 326 7 7 60 2 n/a n/a 0 402
2005 312 7 7 71 2 n/a n/a 10 409
2006 313 3 8 82 3 n/a n/a 19 428
2007 323 2 5 84 4 n/a n/a 42 460
2008 304 6 5 88 6 n/a n/a 46 455
2009 293 4 5 92 5 n/a n/a 55 454
2010 5 0 0 2 0 n/a n/a 1 8
2011 274 3 4 96 0 0 16 0 393
2012 270 11 4 111 1 0 7 0 404
2013 283 10 4 125 2 1 15 0 440
2014 240 4 3 120 3 1 15 0 386
2015 227 2 1 134 3 0 16 0 383
2016 238 5 1 134 2 0 15 0 395
2017 226 3 1 136 0 1 8 0 375
2018 229 2 0 129 1 2 10 0 373
2019 230 1 2 130 0 0 12 0 375
2020 296 3 3 187 1 0 13 0 503
2021 237 2 3 191 2 1 13 0 449
2022 230 4 0 171 2 1 12 0 420
2023 233 2 1 190 7 1 14 0 448
2024 236 3 4 176 6 2 17 0 444

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 Fords Prairie Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 483 20.0 24.1 0
1989 444 19.0 23.3 n/a
1990 466 19.5 23.8 0
1991 441 19.5 22.6 n/a
1992 392 19.8 19.7 n/a
1993 395 20.2 19.6 n/a
1994 363 17.7 20.5 n/a
1995 400 19.8 20.2 n/a
1996 400 19.8 20.2 n/a
1997 409 19.8 20.7 n/a
1998 375 18.8 19.9 n/a
1999 375 18.1 20.7 n/a
2000 355 20.0 17.8 n/a
2001 359 20.2 17.8 n/a
2002 399 20.8 19.2 45.9
2003 399 20.8 19.2 45.9
2004 402 23.0 17.5 50.5
2005 409 23.4 17.5 53.1
2006 428 23.1 18.5 59.2
2007 460 23.2 19.8 62.4
2008 455 24.2 18.8 71.9
2009 454 24.2 18.8 74.9
2010 8 24.3 0.3 71.4
2011 393 22.8 17.1 67.4
2012 404 20.3 19.8 81.7
2013 440 23.7 18.5 70
2014 386 n/a n/a 70.7
2015 383 23.0 16.6 72.6
2016 395 25.0 15.8 72.7
2017 375 25.9 14.4 69.1
2018 373 25.7 14.5 68.4
2019 375 26.3 14.2 62.7
2020 503 27.2 18.4 71.6
2021 449 27.3 16.4 71
2022 420 28.4 14.7 79.8
2023 448 29.2 15.3 83
2024 444 30.6 14.4 76.4

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 Fords Prairie Elementary

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 483 20.0 24.1 0
1989 444 19.0 23.3 n/a
1990 466 19.5 23.8 0
1991 441 19.5 22.6 n/a
1992 392 19.8 19.7 n/a
1993 395 20.2 19.6 n/a
1994 363 17.7 20.5 n/a
1995 400 19.8 20.2 n/a
1996 400 19.8 20.2 n/a
1997 409 19.8 20.7 n/a
1998 375 18.8 19.9 n/a
1999 375 18.1 20.7 n/a
2000 355 20.0 17.8 n/a
2001 359 20.2 17.8 n/a
2002 399 20.8 19.2 45.9
2003 399 20.8 19.2 45.9
2004 402 23.0 17.5 50.5
2005 409 23.4 17.5 53.1
2006 428 23.1 18.5 59.2
2007 460 23.2 19.8 62.4
2008 455 24.2 18.8 71.9
2009 454 24.2 18.8 74.9
2010 8 24.3 0.3 71.4
2011 393 22.8 17.1 67.4
2012 404 20.3 19.8 81.7
2013 440 23.7 18.5 70
2014 386 n/a n/a 70.7
2015 383 23.0 16.6 72.6
2016 395 25.0 15.8 72.7
2017 375 25.9 14.4 69.1
2018 373 25.7 14.5 68.4
2019 375 26.3 14.2 62.7
2020 503 27.2 18.4 71.6
2021 449 27.3 16.4 71
2022 420 28.4 14.7 79.8
2023 448 29.2 15.3 83
2024 444 30.6 14.4 76.4

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Fords Prairie Elementary

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YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionConditionalPersonal ExemptionPolioDiphtheriaHepatitis BVaricellaMMRPertussisMeaslesMumpsRubellaTetanus
201692.2%0.0%0.0%3.9%96.1%95.1%99.0%94.1%96.1%95.1%
201790.2%0.0%0.0%3.3%0.0%96.7%95.7%97.8%93.5%94.6%95.7%
201885.7%0.0%0.0%0.0%3.3%85.7%86.8%93.4%90.1%90.1%86.8%
201988.8%0.0%0.0%2.3%1.1%91.0%92.1%93.3%93.3%92.1%92.1%
202096.7%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%98.4%98.4%96.7%98.4%98.4%100.0%100.0%100.0%98.4%
202186.9%1.6%0.0%3.3%3.3%88.5%88.5%95.1%91.8%88.5%93.4%93.4%93.4%88.5%
202292.4%0.0%0.0%1.5%1.5%97.0%95.5%97.0%95.5%95.5%97.0%97.0%97.0%95.5%
202388.7%1.6%0.0%4.8%3.2%91.9%90.3%96.8%91.9%90.3%95.2%95.2%95.2%90.3%
202488.5%1.9%0.0%3.9%5.8%92.3%92.3%92.3%92.3%92.3%96.2%96.2%96.2%92.3%

Data source: Washington State Department of Health

Immunization Rates (Entire school)

Fords Prairie Elementary

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionPersonal ExemptionPolioDiphtheriaHepatitis BVaricellaMMRPertussis
201993.1%0.0%0.3%1.6%98.7%98.9%98.7%98.1%98.7%98.9%

Data source: Washington State Department of Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Fords Prairie Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,105 (6.9%) $14,926 (93.1%) $16,031
2020 $479 (5.6%) $8,087 (94.4%) $8,566
2021 $1,030 (7.4%) $12,862 (92.6%) $13,892
2022 $1,439 (9.3%) $14,064 (90.7%) $15,503

Data source: Washington Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Fords Prairie 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.

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Fords Prairie Elementary)51.641.7
 9.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Centralia School District)48.238.9
 9.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Washington)56.348.9
 7.4%
3rd Grade Math (Fords Prairie Elementary)58.355.1
 3.2%
   3rd Grade Math (Centralia School District)60.843.3
 17.5%
   3rd Grade Math (Washington)5951.6
 7.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Fords Prairie Elementary)51.633
 18.5%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Centralia School District)51.237.1
 14.1%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Washington)6152.9
 8.1%
All Grades Math (Fords Prairie Elementary)58.335.1
 23.3%
   All Grades Math (Centralia School District)37.725.1
 12.6%
   All Grades Math (Washington)50.141
 9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students375448
 19.5%
African American12
 100%
American Indian07
Asian21
 50%
Hispanic130190
 46.2%
Pacific Islander01
White230233
 1.3%
Two or More Races1214
 16.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients62.7%83%
 20.4%

Schools Near Fords Prairie Elementary








Frequently Asked Questions about Fords Prairie Elementary

Fords Prairie Elementary ranks in the bottom 19.3% of Washington elementary schools.

Students at Fords Prairie Elementary are 53% White, 40% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

In the 2023-24 school year, 444 students attended Fords Prairie Elementary.

Students who attend Fords Prairie Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Centralia Middle School
High : Centralia High School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

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.




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