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Central Elementary

Q: Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 4078 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

4078^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of California elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary is a public elementary school located in National City, California, serving 508 students in grades K-6. It is part of the National Elementary District, which is ranked 1086 out of 1565 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Central Elementary is part of the same district as nearby schools like Kimball and Rancho de la Nacion, it consistently performs worse on key metrics. Central Elementary has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.4% to 40.5% over the past few years, significantly higher than the nearby schools. Additionally, the school's test scores in English Language Arts and Literacy are lower than the state average and its neighboring schools. Central Elementary also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 80.65% to 83.27%, higher than the nearby schools.

Despite these challenges, Central Elementary has seen a significant increase in spending per student, from $14,914 in 2020-2021 to $24,344 in 2023-2024, which is higher than the nearby schools. The school's performance has also fluctuated over the years, with its statewide ranking ranging from a high of 2602 out of 5692 California elementary schools in 2016-2017 to a low of 4184 out of 5883 in 2021-2022. Further investigation would be needed to understand the root causes of the school's performance and the impact of the increased funding.

477

Students ?

23.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$28,116

Per pupil spending ?

91%

Free/discounted lunch ?

933 E Ave.
National City, CA 91950-3416

(619) 336-7400

District: National Elementary

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	National City Middle
High:	Sweetwater High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

83.4%

Asian:

11.7%

African American:

1.7%

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Compare Central Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 52nd percentile in 2013 → 30th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (28% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (30% vs 19% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school28%

District avg30%

California avg41%

4,078^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 16 pts since 2015

From bottom 47% (2015) to bottom 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 10Elementary Schools in the National Elementary

1079^th of 1,543National 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	28.7	4078 of 5857	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.1	4005 of 5869	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.2	4040 of 5859	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.6	4184 of 5883	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.5	3500 of 5789	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.0	2956 of 5662	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	49.0	2602 of 5692	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	44.0	2830 of 5614	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	40.6	2981 of 5611	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	50.6	2652 of 5530	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	23.0	4454 of 5390	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	31.0	3910 of 5377	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	31.2	3762 of 5314	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	31.1	3621 of 5193	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	30.6	3536 of 5113	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	25.6	3885 of 5113	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	13.1	4466 of 4818	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	27.2	3468 of 4822	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	23.4	3672 of 4809	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	34.0	1587 of 2585	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.0	1305 of 2128	38.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	50.7	1136 of 3162	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.1	1046 of 3245	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.8	1264 of 3311	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.2	1768 of 3275	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	83.4	279 of 3246	91.4%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	30.8	3789 of 5597	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.4	4118 of 5612	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.1	4211 of 5609	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.3	3987 of 5635	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.2	3158 of 5492	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.6	2625 of 5413	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	33.3	3509 of 5107	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.0	3350 of 5107	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.4	3508 of 5087	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.4	3335 of 5084	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.2	2877 of 4963	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.6	2253 of 4830	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	35.6	253 of 364	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.9	176 of 335	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.3	161 of 356	54.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.9	3192 of 5460	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.6	3329 of 5517	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.9	3499 of 5363	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.8	3192 of 5264	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.1	2528 of 5173	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.0	1970 of 5084	61.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.5	4069 of 5628	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.7	3591 of 5643	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.0	3608 of 5638	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.2	4028 of 5663	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.4	3510 of 5510	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.7	3073 of 5431	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	19.6	2217 of 2420	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)64th percentile+32 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)42nd percentile+11 vs school

Disabled (2019)39th percentile~ school

Female (2025)32nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)31st percentile~ school

Homeless (2024)30th percentile~ school

Male (2025)28th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2023)8th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy33%-16 vs state

Science32%~ state avg

Mathematics22%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central Elementary

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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 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)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary	Public	K-6	933 E Ave.	National City	91950	San Diego County	National Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 336-7400	477	20	23.8	91.0%	7 (1.5%)	8 (1.7%)	398 (83.4%)	56 (11.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)	28.7	4078^th of 5857 public elementary schools	30.4%		29.1	4005^th of 5869 public elementary schools	31.8%	73	31.8		31.8	24.6	20.3	45.3	39.2			32.8	24.2	10.6	26.6	25.9			22.0					$28,116	$25,918	$2,198
Integrity Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	701 National City Blvd.	National City	91950	San Diego County	Integrity Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 336-0808	393	21	18.8	87.0%	6 (1.5%)	7 (1.8%)	366 (93.1%)	10 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	23.6	4533^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	22.6%		22.9	4592^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	21.8%	59	14.0	15.2	14.6	23.1	31.8	37.2	44.4	25.0	56.5	36.6	28.2	20.5	14.0	15.6	18.4	26.1	20.3
John A. Otis Elementary	Public	K-6	621 East 18th St.	National City	91950	San Diego County	National Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 336-8800	367	16	22.9	84.2%	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	325 (88.6%)	29 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	35.2	3559^th of 5857 public elementary schools	39.2%		27.7	4145^th of 5869 public elementary schools	29.4%	586	25.5		25.5	24.1	24.1	47.1	44.4			34.6	29.6	17.2	43.1	37.0			31.3					$28,958	$26,812	$2,146
Kimball	Public	K-6	302 West 18th St.	National City	91950	San Diego County	National Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 336-8300	322	13	24.7	82.0%	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.2%)	309 (96.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	30.4	3929^th of 5857 public elementary schools	32.9%		36.2	3428^th of 5869 public elementary schools	41.6%	501	20.0		20.0	25.0	42.3	44.4	26.2			34.8	26.3	42.3	32.7	7.1			26.1					$33,763	$31,798	$1,965
Balboa Elementary	Public	K-5	1844 South 40th St.	San Diego	92113	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 362-4100	457	21	21.7	92.1%	12 (2.6%)	18 (3.9%)	397 (86.9%)	19 (4.2%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.9%)	5 (1.1%)	24.8	4424^th of 5857 public elementary schools	24.5%		26.2	4269^th of 5869 public elementary schools	27.3%	155	9.1		9.1	26.2	29.8	28.8				28.2	44.6	30.0	18.2				30.9	94.9		97.4	96.2	$35,926	$33,618	$2,308
Rancho de la Nacion	Public	K-6	1830 East Division St.	National City	91950	San Diego County	National Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 336-8100	332	14	23.6	88.9%	3 (0.9%)	6 (1.8%)	285 (85.8%)	22 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	11 (3.3%)	39.5	3253^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	44.5%		36.6	3392^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	42.2%	139	27.5		27.5	53.7	29.4	52.6	30.0			40.0	52.3	32.1	27.5	18.0			32.1					$29,192	$27,338	$1,854
Olivewood	Public	K-6	2505 F Ave.	National City	91950	San Diego County	National Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 336-8700	424	18	23.5	86.6%	2 (0.5%)	4 (0.9%)	374 (88.2%)	29 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)	27.3	4195^th of 5857 public elementary schools	28.4%		18.9	4948^th of 5869 public elementary schools	15.7%	753	17.5		17.5	32.7	27.0	35.5	37.3			33.1	46.0	23.8	19.1	18.3			25.9	97.2	97.2		97.2	$30,524	$28,316	$2,208
Las Palmas	Public	K-6	1900 East 18th St.	National City	91950	San Diego County	National Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 336-8500	458	19	24.1	83.4%	13 (2.8%)	2 (0.4%)	376 (82.1%)	41 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.5%)	20.1	4821^st of 5857 public elementary schools	17.7%		27.8	4125^th of 5869 public elementary schools	29.7%	696	10.8		10.8	20.0	13.8	17.5	46.0			24.6	15.0	8.6	20.0	33.3			19.5	97.4				$28,139	$26,280	$1,859
El Toyon Elementary	Public	K-6	2000 East Division St.	National City	91950	San Diego County	National Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 336-8000	381	17	22.4	86.6%	9 (2.4%)	14 (3.7%)	303 (79.5%)	32 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.0%)	31.7	3826^th of 5857 public elementary schools	34.7%		24.3	4428^th of 5869 public elementary schools	24.6%	602	16.4		16.4	20.5	22.6	33.3	49.0			31.3	40.9	31.8	26.2	35.3			32.9					$33,384	$31,512	$1,872
Chavez Elementary	Public	K-5	1404 South 40th St.	San Diego	92113	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 362-3200	361	15	24.0	96.4%	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.2%)	342 (94.7%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	17.6	5045^th of 5857 public elementary schools	13.9%		18.9	4943^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	15.8%	102	10.7		10.7	27.8	21.4	38.2				29.1	21.4	16.1	14.3				17.3					$29,948	$27,164	$2,784

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 477 students attended Central Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 83% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 2% African American, 1% White, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : National City Middle
High : Sweetwater High

What district is Central Elementary in?

National Elementary

Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 4078^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Central Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.