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Harding Elementary

Q: Is Harding Elementary a good school?

Harding Elementary ranks 3978 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

3978^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 32% of California elementary schools

Summary

Harding Elementary is a large K-6 public school serving 601 students in the El Centro Elementary district, known for its strong attendance culture and effective support for English learners.

This school stands out in two key areas compared to others. First, it has significantly lower chronic absenteeism (13.8%) than the district and state averages, and much better than nearby schools like Martin Luther King Junior Elementary (23.7%) and Booker T. Washington Elementary (26.7%). Second, its program for English Language Learners is exceptionally strong, ranking in the 84th percentile statewide, which is a major strength. The school also operates efficiently, spending far less per student ($14,924) than schools like Sunflower Elementary ($33,089) while achieving comparable results.

Academically, Harding's overall state ranking is in the lower-middle tier, and recent scores show a decline, with particular challenges in mathematics, science, and serving students with special needs. It performs below higher-ranking district schools like De Anza Magnet and McKinley Elementary, but outperforms others like Margaret Hedrick Elementary. In summary, Harding is a school with clear strengths in student attendance and language support, but one where overall academic achievement is an area for growth.

601

Students ?

24.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,924

Per pupil spending ?

70.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

950 South Seventh St.
El Centro, CA 92243-3919

(760) 352-4791

District: El Centro Elementary

Students who attend Harding Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Wilson Junior High
High:	Central Union High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

93.2%

White:

3.8%

Two or more races:

1.8%

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Compare Harding Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 47th percentile in 2018 → 32nd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (24% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 47th-percentile peak (2018) to 32nd (2025)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school24%

District avg33%

California avg41%

3,978^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 18 pts since 2015

From bottom 14% (2015) to bottom 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 10Elementary Schools in the El Centro Elementary

889^th of 1,543El Centro Elementary among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	29.8	3978 of 5857	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.1	3300 of 5869	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.5	3310 of 5859	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.2	3519 of 5883	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.8	3209 of 5789	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.4	3004 of 5662	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	27.6	4038 of 5692	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.4	4583 of 5614	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	18.3	4811 of 5611	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	23.6	4482 of 5530	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	25.6	4264 of 5390	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	30.3	3961 of 5377	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.7	3513 of 5314	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	29.1	3779 of 5193	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	37.0	3139 of 5113	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	30.4	3544 of 5113	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	20.7	3947 of 4818	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	22.1	3825 of 4822	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	17.9	4121 of 4809	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	24.8	1747 of 2227	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	66.6	497 of 3162	84.3%	★★★★☆
2023	56.6	927 of 3245	71.4%	★★★★☆
2022	53.5	1029 of 3311	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.6	1062 of 3275	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.1	693 of 3246	78.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.3	4225 of 5597	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.4	3110 of 5612	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.8	3429 of 5609	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.6	3965 of 5635	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.5	3376 of 5492	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.8	3096 of 5413	42.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.6	3053 of 5107	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.8	2211 of 5107	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.7	2195 of 5087	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.0	2521 of 5084	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.8	2109 of 4963	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.9	1974 of 4830	59.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	28.1	4125 of 5460	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.7	3010 of 5517	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.4	3108 of 5363	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.8	3188 of 5264	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.9	2545 of 5173	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.3	2589 of 5084	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	35.4	3434 of 5628	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.5	3252 of 5643	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.7	3014 of 5638	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.1	2944 of 5663	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.0	2770 of 5510	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.2	2775 of 5431	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.4	2164 of 2847	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.2	1649 of 2635	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.6	1672 of 2420	30.9%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2024)84th percentile+41 vs school

Hispanic (2025)40th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)39th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)25th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)24th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2025)24th percentile-8 vs school

Disabled (2022)22nd percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy37%-12 vs state

Listening27%~ state avg

Mathematics25%-12 vs state

Science19%-14 vs state

Writing13%-4 vs state

Overall9%~ state avg

Reading7%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Harding Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)					CSA Spanish Listening (2025)					CSA Spanish Writing (2025)					CSA Spanish Reading (2025)					CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Overall 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Harding Elementary	Public	K-6	950 South Seventh St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	El Centro Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 352-4791	601	25	24.0	70.5%	23 (3.8%)	5 (0.8%)	560 (93.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.8%)	29.8	3978^th of 5857 public elementary schools	32.1%		38.1	3300^th of 5869 public elementary schools	43.8%	678	4.2	21.7	0.0	9.5	8.9	33.3	17.4	31.8	23.8	26.7	4.2	34.8	0.0	14.3	13.3	0.0	26.1	0.0	0.0	6.7	19.0		19.0	34.6	33.0	44.3	37.0			37.1	26.6	23.9	27.9	22.4			25.2				$14,924	$1,581	$13,343
Desert Garden Elementary	Public	K-6	1900 South Sixth St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	El Centro Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 352-2051	358	16	22.3	81.8%	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	349 (97.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	39.2	3278^th of 5857 public elementary schools	44.0%		43.7	2941^st of 5869 public elementary schools	49.9%	337																					19.6		19.6	35.3	38.5	39.2	47.8			40.8	45.1	30.8	13.7	37.7			32.3	98.1	98.1		$22,879	$1,839	$21,040
Lincoln Elementary	Public	K-6	200 North Twelfth St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	El Centro Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 352-3060	399	19	21.0	89.0%	5 (1.3%)	3 (0.8%)	380 (95.2%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.5%)	46.1	2829^th of 5857 public elementary schools	51.7%		25.3	4338^th of 5869 public elementary schools	26.1%	1509	33.3	50.0	20.0	29.4	32.9	76.2	44.4	70.0	52.9	61.8	33.3	66.7	10.0	52.9	39.5	14.3	55.6	15.0	23.5	26.3	19.1		19.1	42.7	46.2	41.5	43.1			43.4	45.7	34.6	36.6	37.3			39.3	95.7	96.8	96.8	$19,611	$1,707	$17,904
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences	Public, Charter	K-6	1525 West Main St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 353-0140	230	12	19.1	76.5%	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	223 (97.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	46	2830^th of 5857 public elementary schools	51.7%		40.7	3144^th of 5869 public elementary schools	46.4%	314																					47.5		47.5	30.4	40.0	57.5	35.0			43.2	26.1	25.7	40.0	22.7			30.0				$20,202	$2,452	$17,750
Margaret Hedrick Elementary	Public	K-6	550 South Waterman Ave.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	El Centro Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 352-4750	446	20	22.3	78.5%	5 (1.1%)	3 (0.7%)	429 (96.2%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	23.2	4574^th of 5857 public elementary schools	21.9%		20	4863^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	17.1%	289																					9.8		9.8	23.0	17.9	45.9	45.3			32.8	29.5	16.4	16.4	17.2			19.8				$18,643	$1,674	$16,969
De Anza Magnet	Public	K-8	1530 South Waterman Ave.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	El Centro Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 352-9811	504	21	23.9	68.7%	19 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	479 (95.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	42.9	3013^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.6%		44.5	2897^th of 5869 public elementary schools	50.6%	116																					31.1	31.8	31.5	25.9	47.5	57.8	46.2	63.2	58.7	50.3	35.2	28.8	37.8	26.2	41.2	42.9	35.3				$17,505	$1,639	$15,866
Booker T. Washington Elementary	Public	K-6	223 South First St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	El Centro Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 352-6611	351	19	18.4	94.6%	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	346 (98.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	28.3	4109^th of 5857 public elementary schools	29.8%		18.7	4968^th of 5869 public elementary schools	15.4%	859																					8.9		8.9	45.5	19.5	28.9	41.9			34.8	41.8	16.3	20.0	20.9			25.8				$23,808	$1,881	$21,927
McKinley Elementary	Public	K-6	1177 North Eighth St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	El Centro Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 352-3225	456	18	25.3	87.1%	6 (1.3%)	3 (0.7%)	438 (96.1%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	46.7	2786^th of 5857 public elementary schools	52.4%		42.8	3010^th of 5869 public elementary schools	48.7%	224																					33.9		33.9	29.0	41.7	50.0	45.1			40.9	42.1	44.1	43.6	27.5			39.1				$18,797	$1,679	$17,118
Imperial Valley Home School Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	2370 Main St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	El Centro Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 335-5100	131	5	26.2	58.0%	15 (11.5%)	2 (1.5%)	107 (81.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.3%)	39.5	3255^th of 5857 public elementary schools	44.4%		50.3	2537^th of 5869 public elementary schools	56.8%	718																					31.3	12.5	21.9	46.2	46.2	37.5		58.8	25.0	45.9	30.8	38.5	18.8		35.3	12.5	27.1				$62,288	$4,035	$58,253
Sunflower Elementary	Public	K-6	2450 Main St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	El Centro Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 337-4890	427	20	21.3	79.2%	10 (2.3%)	3 (0.7%)	405 (94.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)	42.9	3014^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.5%		54	2342^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	60.1%	672																					13.6		13.6	72.0	50.0	35.6	51.5			51.6	52.0	33.3	15.3	19.1			28.4				$33,089	$13,476	$19,613

Frequently Asked Questions about Harding Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Harding Elementary?

Students at Harding Elementary are 93% Hispanic, 4% White, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Harding Elementary in?

El Centro Elementary

What schools do graduates of Harding Elementary attend?

Students who attend Harding Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Wilson Junior High
High : Central Union High

Is Harding Elementary a good school?

Harding Elementary ranks 3978^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Harding Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 601 students attended Harding Elementary.

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Schools in El Centro, CA

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