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Central Elementary School

Q: Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 321 st of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

321^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 35% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary School in Van Buren, AR, is a K-5 public school serving 466 students within the Van Buren School District, where over 75% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a high rate of economic disadvantage.

Academically, Central Elementary shows a unique strength in mathematics, particularly in 5th grade, where 60.7% of students are proficient—far exceeding the district and state averages. This "5th Grade Effect" is isolated, as 3rd and 4th grade math scores lag behind, suggesting a specific effective teacher or program that could be replicated schoolwide. However, the school struggles in other subjects, ranking in the 35th percentile statewide (2 stars) in 2025-2026, a modest improvement from a low of the 20th percentile in 2018-2019. Notably, Central spends over $13,500 per student annually, roughly $4,000 more than higher-performing peers like Oliver Springs Elementary School (78th percentile) and Parkview Elementary School (71st percentile), raising questions about resource efficiency.

Compared to nearby schools, Central sits in a "middle ground" of poverty and performance. It outperforms the higher-poverty King Elementary School (11th percentile) but lags behind lower-poverty Oliver Springs and Parkview. This geographic clustering of vastly different outcomes within the same district highlights how school performance can vary dramatically. The key takeaway for parents is that Central Elementary has a bright spot in 5th grade math, but overall academic results are below average despite high spending, suggesting room for improvement in replicating its successes across all grades and subjects.

466

Students ?

18.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,624

Per pupil spending ?

75.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

913 N 24 St
Van Buren, AR 72956

(479) 474-7059

District: Van Buren School District

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Van Buren High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.5%

Hispanic:

15.9%

Two or more races:

14.6%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 41st percentile in 2016 → 35th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (36% vs 42% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2016

!Reading scores 10 pts below the Arkansas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg41%

Arkansas avg42%

321^st of 491

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 35%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 41% (2016) to bottom 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Van Buren School District

123^rd of 251Van Buren School District among Arkansas 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	Arkansas percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	321 of 491	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.2	336 of 495	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.2	365 of 497	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.0	336 of 492	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.4	295 of 487	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.0	323 of 496	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.0	391 of 488	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.3	344 of 480	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	52.2	236 of 485	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	46.3	291 of 494	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	37.7	305 of 466	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	28.9	388 of 471	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	51.2	281 of 476	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	37.6	358 of 468	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	37.2	349 of 471	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	42.1	319 of 457	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	21.0	385 of 445	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	41.3	307 of 439	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.8	253 of 440	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	59.3	187 of 402	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2005	71.0	102 of 411	75.2%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics46%~ state avg

Science38%-6 vs state

English Language Arts31%-8 vs state

Reading30%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central Elementary 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)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2026)				ATLAS Reading (2026)				ATLAS Mathematics (2026)				ATLAS Science (2026)				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 (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	ATLAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	913 N 24 St	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 474-7059	466	25	18.3	75.3%	296 (63.5%)	14 (3.0%)	74 (15.9%)	8 (1.7%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (14.6%)	38.4	321^st of 491 public elementary schools	34.6%		36.2	336^th of 495 public elementary schools	32.1%	15	28.0	32.2	34.5	31.4	26.5	32.3	32.8	30.3	33.9	45.2	60.7	46.1	32.3	32.2	50.8	38.2	$13,624	$3,016	$10,608
King Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	411 North 20th St	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 474-2661	437	28	15.3	86.3%	179 (41.0%)	13 (3.0%)	169 (38.7%)	5 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	68 (15.6%)	16.5	435^th of 491 public elementary schools	11.4%		19.1	415^th of 495 public elementary schools	16.2%	20	30.4	31.2	20.8	27.2	26.6	31.2	16.9	24.5	29.1	23.0	24.7	25.8	21.6	21.3	19.5	20.7	$11,760	$1,308	$10,452
Parkview Elementary School	Public	K-5	619 Parkview	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 474-8730	437	23	18.8	65.7%	280 (64.1%)	9 (2.1%)	76 (17.4%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	64 (14.6%)	69.4	143^rd of 491 public elementary schools	70.9%		66	159^th of 495 public elementary schools	67.9%	16	47.4	57.7	43.8	49.3	47.4	47.9	38.8	44.6	48.7	63.4	51.3	54.1	55.1	67.6	41.3	54.2	$9,710	$662	$9,047
Oliver Springs Elementary School	Public	K-5	505 Northridge Drive East	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 471-3120	441	24	18.1	53.7%	295 (66.9%)	4 (0.9%)	85 (19.3%)	3 (0.7%)	7 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (10.4%)	76.2	108^th of 491 public elementary schools	78.0%		69.5	146^th of 495 public elementary schools	70.5%	38	61.7	50.7	44.6	53.0	56.8	52.0	47.7	52.5	64.2	57.2	67.7	62.7	50.6	45.5	47.7	48.0	$9,564	$917	$8,647
Rena Elementary School	Public	K-5	720 Rena Road	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 471-3190	414	21	19.3	54.8%	279 (67.4%)	6 (1.4%)	63 (15.2%)	7 (1.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (13.3%)	64.2	178^th of 491 public elementary schools	63.7%		71.2	131^st of 495 public elementary schools	73.5%	47	42.7	55.4	37.1	46.1	44.2	57.8	38.8	47.9	61.8	78.3	50.0	64.8	36.8	41.0	38.7	39.0	$9,607	$596	$9,011
Spradling Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4949 Spradling Ave	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-8048	307	17	18.3	94.5%	48 (15.6%)	31 (10.1%)	192 (62.5%)	13 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.5%)	19.4	422^nd of 491 public elementary schools	14.1%		26.1	383^rd of 495 public elementary schools	22.6%	39	25.0	29.2	29.2	27.8	25.0	27.1	27.1	26.5	18.2	23.4	29.7	23.9	25.0	29.2	29.8	28.1	$13,041	$1,606	$11,435
Harry C. Morrison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3415 Newlon Rd	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 782-7045	493	26	19.1	90.3%	81 (16.4%)	79 (16.0%)	278 (56.4%)	16 (3.2%)	8 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.1%)	31	369^th of 491 public elementary schools	24.8%		18.9	417^th of 495 public elementary schools	15.8%	48	36.6	33.8	20.5	29.8	38.0	33.8	21.7	30.6	36.6	54.9	25.3	38.2	40.9	33.9	20.5	31.1	$11,686	$1,899	$9,787
James R. Tate Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	406 Catcher Road	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 471-3130	459	25	18.3	76.3%	319 (69.5%)	7 (1.5%)	85 (18.5%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (8.9%)	33.6	347^th of 491 public elementary schools	29.3%		46.3	280^th of 495 public elementary schools	43.4%	67	35.7	33.3	27.9	32.2	33.3	37.5	33.8	35.0	42.8	36.1	28.0	35.2	37.5	31.9	33.8	34.2	$10,791	$901	$9,890
Sutton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5001 Kelley Hwy	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 785-1778	411	27	15.0	91.5%	67 (16.3%)	40 (9.7%)	236 (57.4%)	28 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.7%)	20.4	417^th of 491 public elementary schools	15.1%		17.6	428^th of 495 public elementary schools	13.5%	11	27.7	35.2	17.9	26.8	31.9	33.3	17.8	27.4	21.3	37.1	19.6	26.2	29.8	31.5	16.0	25.4	$14,863	$2,223	$12,640
Sunnymede Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 N O St	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-6327	510	27	18.7	91.4%	70 (13.7%)	35 (6.9%)	323 (63.3%)	21 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (11.8%)	34.9	343^rd of 491 public elementary schools	30.1%		25.3	388^th of 495 public elementary schools	21.6%	45	24.0	33.3	42.7	32.8	25.0	29.3	40.3	31.3	34.4	33.3	57.4	41.5	27.1	33.3	35.4	31.7	$11,773	$1,780	$9,993

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary School?

Students at Central Elementary School are 64% White, 16% Hispanic, 15% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend Central Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 466 students attended Central Elementary School.

Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 321^st of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Van Buren High School

What district is Central Elementary School in?

Van Buren School District

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »

2025–26 ATLAS test scoresJul 13, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2019–20 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 dropout ratesJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary 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.