Centennial Elementary

Centennial Elementary is a K-6 public school serving 741 students in the Fresno Unified School District, located in a community where the vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

While the school's overall academic ranking is low compared to the state, a closer look reveals important strengths and positive trends. Centennial's science scores are actually above the district average, and its Spanish language instruction for English learners is a relative strength. Most notably, the school has made impressive progress in improving student attendance, reducing chronic absenteeism by over 24 percentage points in recent years to a rate that is now better than the district average. Interestingly, Centennial achieves these outcomes while spending significantly less per student than many nearby schools like Holland Elementary and Pyle Elementary, suggesting it uses its resources efficiently.

The school's performance shows some inconsistencies, with a significant drop in math scores in 5th grade, indicating a potential area for curriculum focus. A key point of comparison is Manchester Gate, a higher-performing magnet school just over a mile away, which demonstrates that strong outcomes are possible in the same district. For parents, Centennial is a school showing recent momentum in attendance and specific academic areas, operating with fewer resources than its neighbors but with clear potential for growth by building on its successes in science and supporting its English learners.