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Central Elementary

Q: Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 135 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

135^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary is a public elementary school in Elkader, Iowa, serving 277 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Central Community School District, which is ranked 222 out of 313 districts in the state.

Central Elementary stands out for its strong academic performance, consistently exceeding the state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science on the ISASP tests. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 72.5% to 80.6% in ELA and 86.2% to 90% in Mathematics, significantly higher than the state averages. However, the school has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 10.4% in 2020-2021 to 21.6% in 2023-2024, which is higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, Central Elementary generally outperforms Cora B Darling Elementary and Postville Early Childhood Preschool/Post St/REC Center, which are part of the lower-performing Postville Community School District. However, Edgewood-Colesburg Elementary School and Valley Elementary School, which are part of higher-performing districts, also demonstrate strong academic performance, with some metrics exceeding those of Central Elementary.

292

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,237

Per pupil spending ?

47.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

400 1st Street NW
Elkader, IA 52043

(563) 245-1472

District: Central Community School District

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

High:

Central Middle School/High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.0%

Hispanic:

6.5%

Two or more races:

5.5%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 53rd percentile in 2015 → 77th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (82% vs 72% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of Iowa elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 24 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school82%

District avg82%

Iowa avg72%

135^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 24 pts since 2015

From top 47% (2015) to top 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

222^nd of 313Central Community School District among Iowa 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	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	73.5	135 of 576	76.6%	★★★★☆
2024	70.8	152 of 557	72.7%	★★★★☆
2023	61.2	232 of 565	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.6	179 of 574	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.5	273 of 567	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.2	372 of 603	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.5	291 of 567	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.2	433 of 574	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	33.7	465 of 599	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	58.6	292 of 616	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	56.6	312 of 603	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	61.4	264 of 624	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.9	265 of 626	57.7%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics88%+15 vs state

Science83%+19 vs state

English Language Arts75%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)				ISASP Mathematics (2025)				ISASP Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	400 1st Street NW	Elkader	52043	Clayton County	Central Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 245-1472	292	19	15.3	47.3%	257 (88.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.5%)	73.5	135^th of 576 public elementary schools	76.6%		70.8	152^nd of 557 public elementary schools	72.7%	17	73.7	72.5	75.9	80.6	89.5	90.0	86.2	87.1	82.8	$15,237	$509	$14,727
Clayton Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	502 W. Watson Street	Garnavillo	52049	Clayton County	Clayton Ridge Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 964-2321	293	22	13.5	30.7%	276 (94.2%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	74.1	127^th of 576 public elementary schools	78.0%		60.3	252^nd of 557 public elementary schools	54.8%	125	79.5	87.9	78.4		90.9	87.9	80.4		64.7	$25,462	$1,129	$24,332
MFL MarMac Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	700 S Page St.	Monona	52159	Clayton County	MFL MarMac Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 539-2032	318	23	13.6	28.6%	299 (94.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)								(n/a)	76.5				76.5					$12,542	$631	$11,911
Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	23493 Canoe Rd	Elgin	52141	Fayette County	North Fayette Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 422-3851	169	10	17.1	36.7%	157 (92.9%)	3 (1.8%)	7 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	71.8	151^st of 576 public elementary schools	73.8%		74.1	116^th of 557 public elementary schools	79.2%	35	70.8	86.8			79.2	82.4				$15,786	$707	$15,080
McGregor Intermediate School	Public	4-5	920 W Main St.	Mc Gregor	52157	Clayton County	MFL MarMac Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 873-2250	130	9	14.6	32.3%	124 (95.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.3%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	47.3	351^st of 576 public elementary schools	39.1%		53	312^th of 557 public elementary schools	44.0%	39		82.8	67.6			74.1	66.2		57.4	$8,864	$248	$8,616
Starmont Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3202 40th St	Arlington	50606	Fayette County	Starmont Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 933-2238	244	23	10.4	44.7%	226 (92.6%)	2 (0.8%)	8 (3.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.9%)	45.1	369^th of 576 public elementary schools	35.9%		54.1	303^rd of 557 public elementary schools	45.6%	66	54.8	83.9	63.0		64.5	83.9	71.7		60.0	$12,905	$832	$12,073
Cora B Darling Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	312 W Post	Postville	52162	Allamakee County	Postville Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 864-7653	363	33	11.0	83.7%	65 (17.9%)	13 (3.6%)	283 (78.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	27.8	464^th of 576 public elementary schools	19.4%		15.2	488^th of 557 public elementary schools	12.4%	24	61.5	33.3	52.9	75.0	73.7	26.2	55.9	80.6	52.9	$14,595	$1,723	$12,871
Edgewood-Colesburg Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	409 East St	Colesburg	52035	Delaware County	Edgewood-Colesburg Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 856-2415	284	25	11.5	38.4%	274 (96.5%)	2 (0.7%)	7 (2.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64	229^th of 576 public elementary schools	60.2%					(n/a)	73.7	82.8	81.1	62.2	73.7	93.1	81.1	75.7	81.1	$11,286	$861	$10,425

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary

What district is Central Elementary in?

Central Community School District

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Central Middle School/High School

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 292 students attended Central Elementary.

Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 135^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 88% White, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Rate Central Elementary!

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IAIowa Elementary School Rankings

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Schools in Elkader, IA

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