Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! Indiana test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings TODAY.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Central Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

788^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,015 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 22% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary School is a K–5 school in Portage, Indiana, serving 409 students as part of Portage Township Schools, a district that itself ranks 260th of 374 Indiana districts. Central's own 2025–26 rank is 788th of 1,015 elementary schools statewide (22nd percentile, 1 star), placing it below its district's overall standing and near the bottom within its own district. The school earned 2 stars from 2015–16 through 2018–19 but has held 1 star every year since 2020–21, with its rank sliding from 565th of 1,033 in 2016–17 into the low 20s since 2022–23.

Academically, 2025–26 ILEARN proficiency was 27.59% in ELA, 27.09% in math, and 33.33% in science. ELA is the lowest among the seven same-district Portage elementary comparators, and math is near the bottom, above only Wallace Aylesworth Elementary. Science is the relative bright spot, above the district (30.95%) and the same-district peer average of about 31.98%. Fifth grade is the clearest weak point: ELA 20.59%, math 17.65%, and social studies 20.59%, all well below district and state.

Chronic absenteeism is 20.7% (2024–25), the highest among same-district peers and above both district (20.3%) and state (16.7%). Reported free/reduced lunch is 48.9%, second highest among Portage peers but below several nearby schools. Central spends $10,864 per student, below the same-district peer average of about $11,351, and its student-teacher ratio of 16.3 is higher than most peers. Notably, Liberty Elementary School in Hobart has higher poverty and a larger student-teacher ratio yet much stronger proficiency and far lower absenteeism, suggesting Central's results are shaped by factors beyond poverty and class size.

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 2016 → 22nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (27% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school27%

District avg32%

Indiana avg47%

788^th of 1,015

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 22%▼ down 22 pts since 2016

From bottom 44% (2016) to bottom 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

260^th of 374Portage 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
2026	24.0	788 of 1015	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
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 (2025-2026) ?

Science33%

English Language Arts28%

Math27%

Social Studies21%-27 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Central Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Central Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Central Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

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)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2026)							ILEARN Math (2026)							ILEARN Science (2026)			ILEARN Social Studies (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 (2025)	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	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%)	24	788^th of 1015 public elementary schools	22.4%		25.8	768^th of 1005 public elementary schools	23.6%	20	31.8	30.4	20.6				27.6	30.3	33.3	17.7				27.1	33.3		33.3	20.6	$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%)	22.6	802^nd of 1015 public elementary schools	21.0%		24.3	782^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	22.2%	20	32.1	33.9	22.8				29.3	33.3	32.8	14.1				26.5	23.4		23.4	19.2	$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%)	53.6	478^th of 1015 public elementary schools	52.9%		44.2	579^th of 1005 public elementary schools	42.4%	101	45.8	49.2	52.8				49.4	50.0	55.6	26.4				44.5	25.4		25.4	45.3	$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%)	39	628^th of 1015 public elementary schools	38.1%		46	562^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	44.1%	66	40.3	40.6	35.4				38.4	49.3	43.5	20.8				35.8	36.2		36.2	28.1	$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%)	51.1	509^th of 1015 public elementary schools	49.9%		40.4	619^th of 1005 public elementary schools	38.4%	110	47.2	33.3	64.8				48.5	52.8	24.1	51.9				42.9	24.1		24.1	44.4	$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%)	16.4	855^th of 1015 public elementary schools	15.8%		18.5	831^st of 1005 public elementary schools	17.3%	24	15.9	4.4	25.0				14.9	26.7	28.3	29.6				28.2	15.2		15.2	27.3	$12,192	$1,678	$10,513
Ethel R Jones Elementary School	Public	K-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%)	45.9	563^rd of 1015 public elementary schools	44.5%		51.3	495^th of 1005 public elementary schools	50.7%	68	47.5	32.6	25.8				35.4	52.5	51.2	40.3				47.6	37.2		37.2	32.3	$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%)	44.8	574^th of 1015 public elementary schools	43.4%		40.7	614^th of 1005 public elementary schools	38.9%	40	22.9	60.0	29.6				38.0	41.7	60.0	22.7				42.3	50.0		50.0	13.6	$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%)	61	385^th of 1015 public elementary schools	62.1%		55.4	454^th of 1005 public elementary schools	54.8%	69	40.0	44.2	40.0				41.3	57.3	61.0	57.8				58.7	40.3		40.3	42.2	$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%)	6.9	972^nd of 1015 public elementary schools	4.2%		5.8	980^th of 1005 public elementary schools	2.5%	8	8.1	13.6	7.4	10.4	19.3	32.1	15.1	14.0	18.5	7.4	11.7	5.7	8.8	10.7	12.5	9.1	10.6	13.8	$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 22.4% 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

Rate Central Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

INIndiana Elementary School Rankings

INIndiana District Rankings

Schools in Portage, IN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Central Elementary School!

Latest Indiana data All new data »

2025–26 ILEARN & SAT test scoresNewSep 25, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 5, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataSep 4, 2025

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJul 16, 2025

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.