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Central Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

768^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,005 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 24% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Portage, Indiana, serving grades K-5 with a student population of 419. The school is part of the Portage Township Schools district, which is ranked 251 out of 380 districts in Indiana and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Elementary School has consistently higher chronic absenteeism rates compared to the Portage Township Schools district average, reaching 17.8% in the 2023-2024 school year, which is concerning and may impact student engagement and achievement. Academically, the school consistently underperforms the district and the state of Indiana, with only 28.57% of students proficient or better in ILEARN/English Language Arts and Math in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to 31.27% and 31.05% for the district, respectively. The school's performance is particularly low in 5th-grade ILEARN/Math and ILEARN/Social Studies, where only 12.7% and 4.76% of students were proficient, respectively, compared to the district's 24.34% and 18.86%. Additionally, Central Elementary School has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 71.74% in the 2022-2023 school year.

When comparing Central Elementary School to other nearby schools within the Portage Township Schools district, it becomes evident that the school is one of the lower-performing schools. South Haven Elementary and Crisman Elementary consistently outperform Central Elementary in academic assessments, with higher proficiency rates in ILEARN/English Language Arts, Math, and Science. These findings suggest that Central Elementary School may benefit from targeted interventions and support to address the academic challenges faced by its students, such as implementing evidence-based instructional practices, providing additional resources and support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and addressing attendance and engagement issues.

409

Students ?

16.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,864

Per pupil spending ?

48.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2825 Russell St
Portage, IN 46368

(219) 763-8015

District: Portage Township Schools

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	William Fegely Middle School
High:	Portage High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.7%

Hispanic:

29.6%

African American:

15.6%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 44th percentile in 2015 → 24th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (26% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school26%

District avg31%

Indiana avg38%

768^th of 1,005

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 24%▼ down 20 pts since 2015

From bottom 44% (2015) to bottom 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Portage Township Schools

251^st of 380Portage Township Schools among Indiana 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	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	25.8	768 of 1005	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.8	792 of 1011	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.1	813 of 1016	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.8	754 of 1020	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.3	714 of 1016	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.2	711 of 1031	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.1	627 of 1027	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	52.3	565 of 1033	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	52.2	583 of 1046	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	50.5	584 of 1040	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.2	591 of 1036	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	29.5	848 of 1035	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	59.4	467 of 1015	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	59.2	483 of 1025	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.7	336 of 1009	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	73.2	246 of 1003	75.5%	★★★★☆
2008	73.4	213 of 996	78.6%	★★★★☆
2007	72.8	226 of 985	77.1%	★★★★☆
2006	62.4	378 of 961	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	64.9	324 of 959	66.2%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Science31%

English Language Arts29%

Math29%

Social Studies5%-34 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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2025)							ILEARN Math (2025)							ILEARN Science (2025)			ILEARN Social Studies (2025)	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	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 4th Grade	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	2825 Russell St	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8015	409	25	16.3	48.9%	187 (45.7%)	64 (15.6%)	121 (29.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (8.3%)	25.8	768^th of 1005 public elementary schools	23.6%		21.8	792^nd of 1011 public elementary schools	21.7%	24	39.5	29.7	14.3				28.6	36.8	34.4	12.7				28.6	31.3		31.3	4.8	$10,864	$777	$10,087
Wallace Aylesworth Elementary	Public	K-5	5910 Central Ave	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8010	401	26	15.4	48.6%	181 (45.1%)	81 (20.2%)	99 (24.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.5%)	24.3	782^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	22.2%		23.1	782^nd of 1011 public elementary schools	22.7%		26.2	28.8	32.0				29.2	42.6	22.5	25.0				29.0	22.5		22.5	10.5	$10,347	$700	$9,647
George L Myers Elementary School	Public	K-5	3100 Willowdale	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8035	332	22	15.0	41.3%	182 (54.8%)	20 (6.0%)	101 (30.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (7.8%)	44.2	579^th of 1005 public elementary schools	42.4%		32.7	697^th of 1011 public elementary schools	31.1%	118	27.4	47.1	42.6				38.1	25.8	56.9	27.7				36.3	43.1		43.1	27.7	$11,588	$1,273	$10,315
Rowena Kyle Elementary School	Public	K-5	2701 Hamstrom Rd	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8030	437	25	17.8	35.0%	183 (41.9%)	61 (14.0%)	175 (40.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.9%)	46	562^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	44.1%		46.2	568^th of 1011 public elementary schools	43.8%	6	33.8	36.7	39.2				36.7	51.5	45.9	31.1				42.9	39.8		39.8	27.0	$10,036	$749	$9,287
Crisman Elementary School	Public	K-5	6161 Old Porter Rd	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8020	343	24	14.2	45.2%	167 (48.7%)	57 (16.6%)	93 (27.1%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.4%)	40.4	619^th of 1005 public elementary schools	38.4%		41.5	608^th of 1011 public elementary schools	39.9%	11	32.1	39.2	34.6				35.2	37.5	56.0	26.9				39.9	39.2		39.2	17.3	$11,181	$701	$10,479
Virgil I Bailey Elementary School	Public	K-5	2100 Union St	Lake Station	46405	Lake County	Lake Station Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-1302	235	17	13.5	86.4%	79 (33.6%)	26 (11.1%)	106 (45.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.8%)	18.5	831^st of 1005 public elementary schools	17.3%		16.2	858^th of 1011 public elementary schools	15.1%	27	18.4	31.1	17.2				22.8	22.5	26.7	10.3				21.1	31.1		31.1	13.8	$12,192	$1,678	$10,513
Ethel R Jones Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2374 McCool Rd	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8025	363	22	16.8	43.5%	197 (54.3%)	43 (11.8%)	111 (30.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.0%)	51.3	495^th of 1005 public elementary schools	50.7%		48.4	543^rd of 1011 public elementary schools	46.3%	48	43.6	41.0	39.1				41.1	53.9	55.7	26.1				45.9	34.4		34.4	32.6	$12,409	$752	$11,657
South Haven Elementary School	Public	K-5	395 W Midway Dr	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8045	311	22	14.4	47.6%	208 (66.9%)	34 (10.9%)	55 (17.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.9%)	40.7	614^th of 1005 public elementary schools	38.9%		36.8	662^nd of 1011 public elementary schools	34.5%	48	44.2	33.3	33.3				37.2	50.0	51.1	25.0				42.1	24.4		24.4	18.8	$12,164	$744	$11,420
Liberty Elementary School	Public	1-5	130 N Liberty St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 942-4251	398	22	18.5	58.0%	215 (54.0%)	52 (13.1%)	113 (28.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)	55.4	454^th of 1005 public elementary schools	54.8%		62.7	379^th of 1011 public elementary schools	62.5%	75	34.7	24.1	41.7				33.3	59.7	59.8	61.9				60.5	32.2		32.2	36.9	$11,550	$1,022	$10,528
Charter School of the Dunes	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	7300 East Melton Rd	Gary	46403	Lake County	Charter School of the Dunes	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 939-9690	836	47	17.7	67.5%	9 (1.1%)	708 (84.7%)	74 (8.9%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.5%)	5.8	980^th of 1005 public elementary schools	2.5%		5.7	991^st of 1011 public elementary schools	2.0%	11	8.9	3.8	12.1	14.1	16.0	24.3	13.1	7.6	2.5	4.6	11.0	2.7	12.2	6.9	7.6	12.1	10.0	6.2	$13,255	$3,152	$10,103

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary School

Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks in the bottom 23.6% of Indiana elementary schools.

What district is Central Elementary School in?

Portage Township Schools

How many students attend Central Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 409 students attended Central Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary School?

Students at Central Elementary School are 46% White, 30% Hispanic, 16% African American, 8% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : William Fegely Middle School
High : Portage High School

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