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Central School

Q: Is Central School a good school?

Central School ranks 206 th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

206^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 70% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Central School is a public PK-8 school in Huntsville, AL, serving 610 students as part of the Madison County district, and it currently holds a 4-star rating, ranking in the 70th percentile statewide.

This school stands out for its strong math program, especially in the upper grades. In 7th grade, math proficiency hits 39% compared to a 25% district average, and 8th grade math scores have consistently outpaced both the district and state by significant margins over the past several years. The early elementary years are also a highlight—3rd graders post a 65% math proficiency rate and nearly 80% in English, both well above district averages. What makes this even more impressive is that Central achieves these results while spending less per student ($8,274) than nearby schools like Madison County Elementary ($13,032) or Chapman Elementary ($12,811). Compared to other local options, Central outperforms Lakewood Elementary and Martin Luther King Junior Elementary in the Huntsville City district, though it trails elite schools like Monte Sano Elementary and Hampton Cove Elementary.

However, there are a few areas parents should watch. Science scores lag behind the district at both 4th and 8th grade, and there's a notable dip in 6th-grade English, where only 50% of students are proficient compared to a 62% district average. Chronic absenteeism has also risen to 15%, up from 10% the prior year. Additionally, special education outcomes have declined sharply, dropping to the 23rd percentile statewide. On the positive side, the school's PK-8 structure seems to benefit math achievement, and its overall performance is strong given its moderate poverty rate (36% free/reduced lunch). For families prioritizing math and early literacy, Central is a solid choice, but it's worth asking about supports for science, 6th-grade literacy, and special education.

610

Students ?

18.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,274

Per pupil spending ?

36.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

990 Ryland Pike
Huntsville, AL 35811

(256) 851-4670

District: Madison County

Students who attend Central School usually attend:

High:

Madison County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.6%

African American:

11.3%

Hispanic:

8.5%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare Central School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 82nd percentile in 2016 → 70th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (56% vs 49% meeting standards)

✓Above the Alabama median (70th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg55%

Alabama avg49%

Elementary school

206^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Top 30%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From top 18% (2016) to top 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

124^th of 443

Alabama public middle schools ?

Top 28%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From top 13% (2016) to top 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 13Elementary Schools in the Madison County

34^th of 139Madison County among Alabama districts

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

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	68.9	206 of 686	70.0%	★★★★☆
2025	72.4	171 of 680	74.9%	★★★★☆
2024	64.0	230 of 684	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	76.1	139 of 680	79.6%	★★★★☆
2022	74.9	150 of 687	78.2%	★★★★☆
2021	79.2	110 of 692	84.1%	★★★★☆
2019	88.5	62 of 681	90.9%	★★★★★
2018	86.3	77 of 680	88.7%	★★★★☆
2017	79.2	126 of 688	81.7%	★★★★☆
2016	79.1	121 of 691	82.5%	★★★★☆
2015	76.4	132 of 691	80.9%	★★★★☆
2014	80.8	92 of 695	86.8%	★★★★☆
2013	77.3	76 of 696	89.1%	★★★★☆
2012	82.5	44 of 696	93.7%	★★★★★
2011	76.4	111 of 709	84.3%	★★★★☆
2010	66.3	232 of 704	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	58.7	305 of 696	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	61.8	259 of 698	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	72.0	169 of 698	75.8%	★★★★☆
2006	73.8	124 of 689	82.0%	★★★★☆
2005	80.4	86 of 688	87.5%	★★★★☆
2004	77.0	107 of 623	82.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	70.4	86 of 427	79.9%	★★★★☆
2024	49.9	183 of 420	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.3	80 of 427	81.3%	★★★★☆
2022	78.1	51 of 426	88.0%	★★★★☆
2018	87.4	33 of 423	92.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	71.9	165 of 652	74.7%	★★★★☆
2025	71.8	161 of 649	75.2%	★★★★☆
2024	67.7	189 of 650	70.9%	★★★★☆
2023	78.0	118 of 645	81.7%	★★★★☆
2022	79.2	109 of 656	83.4%	★★★★☆
2021	82.1	87 of 656	86.7%	★★★★☆
2019	87.1	54 of 646	91.6%	★★★★★
2018	81.7	96 of 640	85.0%	★★★★☆
2017	75.4	126 of 639	80.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	46.9	374 of 668	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.2	309 of 660	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.6	347 of 670	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.9	213 of 623	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.6	330 of 651	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	63.7	204 of 653	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	86.5	39 of 649	94.0%	★★★★★
2018	80.8	78 of 651	88.0%	★★★★☆
2017	63.4	173 of 567	69.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	63.8	235 of 660	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.8	208 of 651	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.3	283 of 655	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.4	164 of 649	74.7%	★★★★☆
2022	68.9	185 of 669	72.3%	★★★★☆
2021	74.5	127 of 669	81.0%	★★★★☆
2019	87.3	61 of 650	90.6%	★★★★★
2018	86.3	69 of 650	89.4%	★★★★☆
2017	79.5	106 of 639	83.4%	★★★★☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2019	91.4	4 of 58	93.1%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	27.7	311 of 403	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	57.1	134 of 395	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.8	155 of 373	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.9	45 of 345	87.0%	★★★★☆
2018	25.0	270 of 344	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	55.0	210 of 500	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.3	211 of 532	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.5	242 of 535	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.4	156 of 528	70.5%	★★★★☆
2022	65.7	154 of 540	71.5%	★★★★☆
2021	74.4	108 of 539	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	83.0	68 of 529	87.1%	★★★★☆
2018	67.7	143 of 508	71.9%	★★★★☆
2017	61.6	127 of 369	65.6%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	65.8	124 of 443	72.0%	★★★★☆
2025	73.4	87 of 439	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	86.9	43 of 442	90.3%	★★★★★
2023	87.6	39 of 437	91.1%	★★★★★
2022	87.0	41 of 432	90.5%	★★★★★
2021	91.5	26 of 440	94.1%	★★★★★
2019	84.1	50 of 437	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	86.5	41 of 423	90.3%	★★★★★
2017	85.0	45 of 432	89.6%	★★★★☆
2016	80.6	57 of 432	86.8%	★★★★☆
2015	88.2	41 of 430	90.5%	★★★★★
2014	92.4	22 of 438	95.0%	★★★★★
2013	85.6	16 of 436	96.3%	★★★★★
2012	86.6	22 of 436	95.0%	★★★★★
2011	84.3	31 of 435	92.9%	★★★★★
2010	82.5	48 of 435	89.0%	★★★★☆
2009	89.5	22 of 425	94.8%	★★★★★
2008	87.5	22 of 417	94.7%	★★★★★
2007	83.1	40 of 412	90.3%	★★★★★
2006	88.0	26 of 409	93.6%	★★★★★
2005	91.2	17 of 415	95.9%	★★★★★
2004	89.2	18 of 407	95.6%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2019	98.2	9 of 252	96.4%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	66.2	113 of 422	73.2%	★★★★☆
2025	70.2	97 of 415	76.6%	★★★★☆
2024	86.1	41 of 426	90.4%	★★★★★
2023	91.4	30 of 417	92.8%	★★★★★
2022	83.2	46 of 423	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	92.7	16 of 415	96.1%	★★★★★
2019	86.3	35 of 399	91.2%	★★★★★
2018	87.0	34 of 392	91.3%	★★★★★
2017	85.5	34 of 380	91.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	46.9	216 of 432	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.3	167 of 428	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	81.7	51 of 437	88.3%	★★★★☆
2023	50.3	187 of 410	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.4	63 of 421	85.0%	★★★★☆
2021	63.6	120 of 415	71.1%	★★★★☆
2019	85.6	19 of 396	95.2%	★★★★★
2018	83.2	31 of 396	92.2%	★★★★★
2017	64.6	84 of 349	75.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	61.2	135 of 421	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.7	87 of 422	79.4%	★★★★☆
2024	83.5	52 of 428	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	80.6	55 of 419	86.9%	★★★★☆
2022	87.0	38 of 427	91.1%	★★★★★
2021	86.8	31 of 418	92.6%	★★★★★
2019	76.0	64 of 399	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	82.5	48 of 397	87.9%	★★★★☆
2017	80.8	51 of 380	86.6%	★★★★☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2019	86.2	3 of 44	93.2%	★★★★★
2018	55.1	6 of 14	57.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	33.3	188 of 266	29.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	75.1	26 of 274	90.5%	★★★★★
2017	39.2	112 of 195	42.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	53.4	145 of 355	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.4	98 of 377	74.0%	★★★★☆
2024	80.3	57 of 373	84.7%	★★★★☆
2023	84.2	42 of 370	88.6%	★★★★☆
2022	82.0	44 of 376	88.3%	★★★★☆
2021	87.1	29 of 369	92.1%	★★★★★
2019	71.9	66 of 343	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	74.0	62 of 331	81.3%	★★★★☆
2017	70.6	50 of 247	79.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

Native American (2019)93rd percentile~ school

African American (2025)80th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)75th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)64th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)58th percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)44th percentile-26 vs school

Special Education (2026)23rd percentile-47 vs school

Middle school

African American (2019)96th percentile+8 vs school

Native American (2019)93rd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)73rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)68th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)59th percentile-13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)50th percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2026)29th percentile-43 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English67%+6 vs state

Science52%~ state avg

Mathematics48%+12 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, February 5, 2011

One of the best kept secrets in Huntsville. School is older than others in the area, but the staff and parental involvement make it a fantastic place for the children to learn! Close Quote

Schools Near Central School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)						Summative Assessment Science (2026)		Summative Assessment English (2026)						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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central School	Public	PK, KG-8	990 Ryland Pike	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	No	(256) 851-4670	610	34	18.0	36.2%	406 (66.6%)	69 (11.3%)	52 (8.5%)	3 (0.5%)	42 (6.9%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (6.1%)	68.9	206^th of 686 public elementary schools	70.0%		72.4	171^st of 680 public elementary schools	74.9%	35	65.2	52.4	58.1	40.5	39.1	30.1	52.4	50.7	79.7	61.9	77.4	50.0	67.2	65.8	$8,274	$640	$7,595
Mt Carmel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	335 Homer Nance Road	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	No	(256) 851-4660	638	39	16.2	32.4%	366 (57.4%)	108 (16.9%)	82 (12.9%)	7 (1.1%)	18 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (8.9%)								(n/a)	69.9								80.1						$10,222	$791	$9,395
Riverton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	2615 Winchester Road	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	No	(256) 851-4650	596	33	18.2	29.0%	400 (67.1%)	84 (14.1%)	32 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (8.4%)								(n/a)	64.8								85.5						$9,761	$692	$9,031
Monte Sano Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1107 Monte Sano Blvd SE	Huntsville	35801	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7300	263	17	15.7	9.9%	217 (82.5%)	21 (8.0%)	7 (2.7%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.7%)	95	20^th of 686 public elementary schools	97.1%		94.3	19^th of 680 public elementary schools	97.2%	1	85.7	73.2	69.7	84.6			90.2		88.6	85.4	87.9	92.3			$10,022	$862	$9,158
Chapman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2006 Reuben Dr	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7640	167	11	15.1	55.1%	83 (49.7%)	35 (21.0%)	24 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.6%)	1 (0.6%)	18 (10.8%)								(n/a)															$12,811	$2,910	$9,900
Madison County Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	173 Wood St	Gurley	35748	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 851-3290	421	27	15.6	55.8%	314 (74.6%)	25 (5.9%)	22 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.6%)	64.8	238^th of 686 public elementary schools	65.3%		64	239^th of 680 public elementary schools	64.9%	1	33.3	38.0	62.5	47.6	29.4	29.3	64.0	68.3	63.6	72.0	80.0	57.1	64.7	78.1	$13,032	$2,679	$10,316
Martin Luther King Junior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3112 Meridian St N	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7100	458	27	16.9	79.9%	37 (8.1%)	310 (67.7%)	77 (16.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (6.8%)	4.7	682^nd of 686 public elementary schools	0.6%		6.8	668^th of 680 public elementary schools	1.8%	14	12.5	9.6	1.6				16.4		30.4	19.2	27.4				$9,541	$2,631	$6,909
Blossomwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1321 Woodmont Avenue	Huntsville	35801	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7020	596	38	15.8	50.5%	247 (41.4%)	262 (44.0%)	30 (5.0%)	6 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (8.2%)	46.2	387^th of 686 public elementary schools	43.6%		53.1	331^st of 680 public elementary schools	51.3%	56	36.8	35.9	40.7	18.7			51.1		70.8	55.4	61.2	53.9			$8,149	$907	$7,241
Hampton Cove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	261 Old 431 Hwy	Hampton Cove	35763	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7180	711	39	18.1	6.8%	577 (81.2%)	24 (3.4%)	49 (6.9%)	26 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.8%)	94.6	21^st of 686 public elementary schools	96.9%		95.3	14^th of 680 public elementary schools	97.9%	7	80.7	82.3	61.0				87.9		91.9	91.1	92.7				$8,275	$715	$7,559
Jones Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4908 Garth Rd SE	Huntsville	35802	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7220	471	27	17.3	26.8%	273 (58.0%)	111 (23.6%)	48 (10.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.4%)	79.4	118^th of 686 public elementary schools	82.8%		81.6	101^st of 680 public elementary schools	85.1%	17	54.4	68.2	59.1	41.2			68.2		78.5	63.6	86.4	76.5			$9,469	$884	$8,583

Frequently Asked Questions about Central School

What district is Central School in?

Madison County

What schools do graduates of Central School attend?

Students who attend Central School usually go on to attend:

High : Madison County High School

What is the racial makeup of Central School?

Students at Central School are 67% White, 11% African American, 9% Hispanic, 7% American Indian, 6% Two or more races.

Is Central School a good school?

Central School ranks 206^th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 610 students attended Central School.

Rate Central School!

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresNewAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

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