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Central Elementary

Public Grades K-5

36^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 99% of California elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary is a top-ranked K-5 public school serving 437 students in the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary district, consistently placing in the 99th percentile of all California elementary schools with exceptional academic results across English, Math, and Science.

The school's performance is remarkably consistent and efficient, achieving these top-tier outcomes with a higher student-teacher ratio and lower per-student spending than many comparable schools. It also maintains very low chronic absenteeism, a sign of strong student engagement, and excels across all student subgroups. Notably, the school demonstrated resilience during recent challenging years, maintaining its elite ranking and near-perfect attendance.

Interesting comparisons within the same high-performing district reveal significant differences; while Central Elementary ranks in the 99th percentile, nearby Nesbit Elementary (just 0.41 miles away) ranks in the 81st percentile, and Cipriani Elementary ranks in the 94th percentile. Central also outperforms nearby charter schools like the San Carlos Charter Learning Center and other high-spending schools in neighboring districts such as Foster City Elementary, highlighting its specific institutional strengths.

437

Students ?

25.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,722

Per pupil spending ?

5.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

525 Middle Rd.
Belmont, CA 94002-2130

(650) 637-4820

District: Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Ralston Intermediate
High:	Carlmont High

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

42.3%

White:

26.8%

Two or more races:

23.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 96th percentile in 2015 → 99th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (88% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of California elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary

Worth a look

!Large classes — about 26 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school88%

District avg79%

California avg41%

36^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 1%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

From top 4% (2015) to top 1% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Elementary Schools in the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary

92^nd of 1,543Belmont-Redwood Shores 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	98.5	36 of 5857	99.4%	★★★★★
2024	98.9	20 of 5869	99.7%	★★★★★
2023	98.8	33 of 5859	99.4%	★★★★★
2022	98.9	25 of 5883	99.6%	★★★★★
2021	99.0	7 of 1417	99.5%	★★★★★
2019	97.4	118 of 5789	98.0%	★★★★★
2018	97.7	92 of 5662	98.4%	★★★★★
2017	97.6	123 of 5692	97.8%	★★★★★
2016	97.4	111 of 5614	98.0%	★★★★★
2015	96.6	218 of 5611	96.1%	★★★★★
2013	91.0	405 of 5530	92.7%	★★★★★
2012	90.0	422 of 5390	92.2%	★★★★★
2011	92.7	267 of 5377	95.0%	★★★★★
2010	92.6	294 of 5314	94.5%	★★★★★
2009	94.0	229 of 5193	95.6%	★★★★★
2008	92.0	369 of 5113	92.8%	★★★★★
2007	94.1	280 of 5113	94.5%	★★★★★
2006	92.7	353 of 4818	92.7%	★★★★★
2005	91.0	437 of 4822	90.9%	★★★★★
2004	90.1	504 of 4809	89.5%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	83.2	79 of 1203	93.4%	★★★★★
2024	87.1	29 of 1205	97.6%	★★★★★
2023	83.7	63 of 1190	94.7%	★★★★★
2022	85.5	44 of 1154	96.2%	★★★★★
2019	71.9	330 of 1149	71.3%	★★★★☆
2018	76.1	236 of 1071	78.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	98.4	21 of 5597	99.6%	★★★★★
2024	98.9	9 of 5612	99.8%	★★★★★
2023	97.7	80 of 5609	98.6%	★★★★★
2022	97.3	113 of 5635	98.0%	★★★★★
2021	98.0	18 of 1267	98.6%	★★★★★
2019	96.8	103 of 5492	98.1%	★★★★★
2018	97.6	55 of 5413	99.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	97.6	72 of 5628	98.7%	★★★★★
2024	98.3	42 of 5643	99.3%	★★★★★
2023	98.9	17 of 5638	99.7%	★★★★★
2022	99.2	9 of 5663	99.8%	★★★★★
2021	99.2	5 of 1272	99.6%	★★★★★
2019	96.9	132 of 5510	97.6%	★★★★★
2018	97.1	113 of 5431	97.9%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	89.3	21 of 718	97.1%	★★★★★
2024	86.4	51 of 670	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	88.4	27 of 669	96.0%	★★★★★
2022	85.1	45 of 610	92.6%	★★★★★
2019	82.8	44 of 445	90.1%	★★★★★
2018	79.5	54 of 339	84.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	89.2	100 of 2598	96.2%	★★★★★
2024	92.0	47 of 2651	98.2%	★★★★★
2023	90.9	75 of 2661	97.2%	★★★★★
2022	92.6	41 of 2726	98.5%	★★★★★
2019	89.0	126 of 2834	95.6%	★★★★★
2018	92.6	42 of 2737	98.5%	★★★★★

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)

Female (2025)100th percentile~ school

Male (2025)99th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)97th percentile~ school

White (2025)96th percentile-3 vs school

Asian (2025)93rd percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics91%+53 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy89%+40 vs state

Science76%+43 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, October 1, 2016

Central Elementary is a very well-run school with a vibrant family community and a good diversity of students. The teachers are very strong although there has been movement in the ranks lately, but this has been mitigated by overall strength of school leadership. The school benefits from strong school support groups (PTA & Schoolforce) who rally the student body parental corp to supplement any funding shortfalls and ensure that the students receive a well-rounded education. The extra-curricular programming does seem more oriented towards the arts, but there is demand to build out early-STEM programming as well. Close Quote

Schools Near Central Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (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	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	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary	Public	K-5	525 Middle Rd.	Belmont	94002	San Mateo County	Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 637-4820	437	17	25.7	5.3%	117 (26.8%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (7.6%)	185 (42.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	101 (23.1%)	98.5	36^th of 5857 public elementary schools	99.4%		98.9	20^th of 5869 public elementary schools	99.7%	16	76.0		76.0	93.2	89.0	84.0				88.7	93.2	89.0	89.3				90.5							$14,722	$492	$14,230
Nesbit Elementary	Public	K-8	500 Biddulph Way	Belmont	94002	San Mateo County	Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 637-4860	566	27	20.8	27.0%	108 (19.1%)	16 (2.8%)	180 (31.8%)	153 (27.0%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.1%)	96 (17.0%)	81.4	1104^th of 5857 public elementary schools	81.2%		77.9	1246^th of 5869 public elementary schools	78.8%	142	48.0	49.0	48.4	68.6	63.6	62.2	47.2	46.5	62.0	60.2	75.4	64.2	60.0	42.9	26.1	41.2	54.8							$16,231	$704	$15,527
George Hall Elementary	Public	K-5	130 San Miguel Way	San Mateo	94403	San Mateo County	San Mateo-Foster City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 312-7533	370	18	20.5	31.4%	95 (25.7%)	2 (0.5%)	118 (31.9%)	90 (24.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.0%)	54 (14.6%)	85.3	913^th of 5857 public elementary schools	84.4%		88.2	802^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	86.3%	111	47.2		47.2	62.0	72.6	70.4				68.4	72.0	67.3	53.7				64.1							$22,786	$1,907	$20,879
San Carlos Charter Learning Center	Public, Charter	K-8	750 Dartmouth Ave.	San Carlos	94070	San Mateo County	San Carlos Charter Learning Center District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 508-7343	377	20	18.6	4.0%	175 (46.4%)	3 (0.8%)	46 (12.2%)	101 (26.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	51 (13.5%)	93	475^th of 5857 public elementary schools	91.9%		96.3	235^th of 5869 public elementary schools	96.0%	240	77.3	74.4	75.9	71.4	84.9	87.9	65.7	83.8	90.7	80.7	69.1	87.9	72.7	57.1	65.8	69.8	70.1	93.2						$16,319	$208	$16,111
Mariposa	Public	4-5	750 Dartmouth Ave.	San Carlos	94070	San Mateo County	San Carlos Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 832-4201	322	14	23.7	10.9%	99 (30.7%)	2 (0.6%)	60 (18.6%)	103 (32.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	55 (17.1%)	97.5	117^th of 5857 public elementary schools	98.0%		98.1	74^th of 5869 public elementary schools	98.7%	43	78.4		78.4		80.6	85.1				82.7		81.8	83.9				82.8							$16,520	$811	$15,709
Laurel Elementary	Public	K-5	316 36th Ave.	San Mateo	94403	San Mateo County	San Mateo-Foster City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 312-7555	469	22	21.8	76.5%	32 (6.8%)	1 (0.2%)	359 (76.5%)	37 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.6%)	28 (6.0%)	16.6	5137^th of 5857 public elementary schools	12.3%		20.3	4828^th of 5869 public elementary schools	17.7%	309	22.2		22.2	13.3	18.3	29.6				20.3	13.8	17.1	24.1				18.3	94.9			94.9			$21,940	$1,886	$20,054
Cipriani Elementary	Public	K-5	2525 Buena Vista	Belmont	94002	San Mateo County	Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 637-4840	471	18	26.9	8.9%	156 (33.1%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (9.6%)	163 (34.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	105 (22.3%)	95	335^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.3%		95.8	283^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	95.2%	52	69.7		69.7	76.7	72.0	82.2				77.1	75.3	77.4	78.7				77.2							$14,511	$492	$14,019
Arundel Elementary	Public	K-3	200 Arundel Rd.	San Carlos	94070	San Mateo County	San Carlos Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 508-7311	388	17	22.8	11.3%	129 (33.2%)	2 (0.5%)	57 (14.7%)	113 (29.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (22.4%)								(n/a)				95.5						95.5	93.2						93.2							$18,723	$901	$17,822
Foster City Elementary	Public	K-5	461 Beach Park Blvd.	Foster City	94404	San Mateo County	San Mateo-Foster City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 312-7522	624	29	21.5	12.0%	107 (17.1%)	3 (0.5%)	60 (9.6%)	374 (59.9%)	3 (0.5%)	7 (1.1%)	70 (11.2%)	92.3	522^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	91.1%		94.8	359^th of 5869 public elementary schools	93.9%	163	56.2		56.2	64.9	75.9	80.0				73.5	75.0	75.2	78.1				76.1	96.9	97.7	97.7	96.9	97.7	96.9	$20,270	$1,792	$18,478
Beresford Elementary	Public	K-5	300 28th Ave.	San Mateo	94403	San Mateo County	San Mateo-Foster City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 312-7551	218	10	21.8	58.7%	42 (19.3%)	0 (0.0%)	128 (58.7%)	26 (11.9%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (1.8%)	17 (7.8%)	42.2	3056^th of 5857 public elementary schools	47.8%		56.8	2199^th of 5869 public elementary schools	62.5%	857	21.9		21.9	29.4	44.7	31.3				35.6	35.3	60.5	34.4				44.2	87.0			93.5			$22,738	$1,575	$21,163

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 437 students attended Central Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 42% Asian, 27% White, 23% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ralston Intermediate
High : Carlmont High

Is Central Elementary a good school?

Yes! Central Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 36^th of 5857 California elementary schools.

What district is Central Elementary in?

Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary

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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.