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Central Elementary School

Q: Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 265 th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

265^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,015 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 74% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary School is a K–5 school in Greencastle, Indiana, serving 335 students as part of South Putnam Community Schools. In 2025–2026, it ranked 265th of 1,015 Indiana elementary schools—the 74th percentile with 4 stars—up from the 48th percentile in 2024–2025 and 31st percentile in 2015–2016. The district ranks 56th of 374 statewide (85th percentile, 4 stars).

Its 2025–2026 ILEARN results are above district and state in most areas: English Language Arts 51.81% proficient, math 57.23%, and science 59.02%. Year-over-year gains were large—ELA rose from 41.98% to 51.81%, math from 46.3% to 57.23%, science from 38.1% to 59.02%, and 5th-grade social studies from 19.67% to 47.83%. Third-grade math is excellent at 74.58%, but 5th-grade math is the clear weak spot at 30.43%, below the district’s 39.39% and the state’s 42%. Central Elementary School outperforms nearby Van Buren Elementary School, Bainbridge Elementary School, Cloverdale Elementary School, Tzouanakis Intermediate School, Cloverdale Distance Learning Academy, and Eminence Elementary School, but it trails same-district Fillmore Elementary School (92nd percentile, 5 stars) and Mill Creek West Elementary (84th percentile).

Chronic absenteeism is 10.9%, below the state’s 16.7% and many nearby schools, but higher than Fillmore Elementary School, Van Buren Elementary School, Mill Creek West Elementary, and Eminence Elementary School, and slightly above the district average. It has risen from 5.5% in 2020–2021. The student-teacher ratio is 12.1, lower than most nearby schools; spending is $12,259 per student; and free/reduced lunch is 43.28%, down from 51.58%. Central Elementary School clearly outperforms nearby Greencastle Community School Corp schools such as Tzouanakis Intermediate School and Deer Meadow Primary School on available academic and attendance metrics. Its trajectory is positive, but 5th-grade math and rising absenteeism are the main areas to watch.

335

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,821

Per pupil spending ?

43.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

94.6%

Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) (2025-26)

1888 E US Hwy 40
Greencastle, IN 46135

(765) 653-6175

District: South Putnam Community Schools

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	South Putnam Middle School
High:	South Putnam High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.4%

Hispanic:

3.6%

Two or more races:

1.8%

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Compare Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 31st percentile in 2016 → 74th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Indiana average (54% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 43 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Indiana median (74th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg51%

Indiana avg47%

265^th of 1,015

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Top 26%▲ up 43 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to top 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the South Putnam Community Schools

56^th of 374South Putnam Community 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	72.2	265 of 1015	73.9%	★★★★☆
2025	49.7	518 of 1005	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.2	458 of 1011	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.6	397 of 1016	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.7	477 of 1020	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.6	305 of 1016	70.0%	★★★★☆
2019	59.5	434 of 1031	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.7	501 of 1027	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	49.5	598 of 1033	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	41.1	722 of 1046	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	58.0	473 of 1040	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	50.8	615 of 1036	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	54.2	572 of 1035	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	60.6	449 of 1015	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	66.3	355 of 1025	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	41.3	697 of 1009	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	60.4	440 of 1003	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.1	318 of 996	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	80.9	122 of 985	87.6%	★★★★☆
2006	73.7	205 of 961	78.7%	★★★★☆
2005	71.7	229 of 959	76.1%	★★★★☆
2004	72.6	66 of 326	79.8%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Science59%

Math57%

English Language Arts52%

Social Studies48%~ state avg

★

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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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2026)							ILEARN Math (2026)							ILEARN Science (2026)			ILEARN Social Studies (2026)	ILEARN Biology (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Vaccination: Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	1888 E US Hwy 40	Greencastle	46135	Putnam County	South Putnam Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 653-6175	335	28	12.1	43.3%	313 (93.4%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	6 (1.8%)	72.2	265^th of 1015 public elementary schools	73.9%		49.7	518^th of 1005 public elementary schools	48.5%	253	50.9	57.4	45.7				51.8	74.6	60.7	30.4				57.2	59.0		59.0	47.8		94.6%		$13,821	$566	$13,255
Martha J Ridpath Elementary School	Public	K-2	711 South Central Ave	Greencastle	46135	Putnam County	Greencastle Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 653-3315	160	14	11.5	70.6%	146 (91.3%)	1 (0.6%)	2 (1.3%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	9 (5.6%)								(n/a)																				97.6%		$14,224	$1,274	$12,950
Deer Meadow Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	1000 Deer Meadow Ln	Greencastle	46135	Putnam County	Greencastle Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 653-3518	359	20	18.1	52.6%	337 (93.9%)	3 (0.8%)	11 (3.1%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)								(n/a)																				90.2%		$10,026	$1,141	$8,885
Cloverdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	311 E Logan St	Cloverdale	46120	Putnam County	Cloverdale Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 795-4339	445	27	16.7	56.4%	412 (92.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.6%)	54.5	469^th of 1015 public elementary schools	53.8%		56.3	443^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	55.9%	26	48.7	25.6					36.6	61.5	48.8					54.9	44.2		44.2			95.1%		$9,205	$459	$8,746
Cloverdale Distance Learning Academy	Public, Virtual	K-8	310 E Logan St	Cloverdale	46120	Putnam County	Cloverdale Community Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(795) 795-4203	1,986			—	1,670 (84.1%)	55 (2.8%)	131 (6.6%)	17 (0.9%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	107 (5.4%)	36.8	654^th of 1015 public elementary schools	35.6%		49.8	517^th of 1005 public elementary schools	48.6%	137	27.0	20.5	21.7	20.0	36.4	29.7	25.3	39.9	37.5	29.9	33.1	27.3	17.8	32.7	43.2	44.4	43.8	50.7	50.0			$5,846	$162	$5,684
Tzouanakis Intermediate School	Public	3-5	500 Linwood Dr	Greencastle	46135	Putnam County	Greencastle Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 653-4700	419	28	15.0	57.5%	390 (93.1%)	8 (1.9%)	9 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	46.4	558^th of 1015 public elementary schools	45.0%		49	527^th of 1005 public elementary schools	47.6%	31	33.9	29.5	34.8				32.8	44.6	46.7	41.3				44.1	42.6		42.6	46.4				$10,681	$483	$10,198
Fillmore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	161 S Main St	Fillmore	46128	Putnam County	South Putnam Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 246-6136	148	14	10.9	39.9%	141 (95.3%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	89.3	77^th of 1015 public elementary schools	92.4%		88.5	100^th of 1005 public elementary schools	90.0%	23	41.7	60.0	65.0				57.7	75.0	85.0	60.0				73.1	80.0		80.0	80.0		100%		$16,703	$981	$15,722
Eminence Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6760 N Sr 42	Eminence	46125	Morgan County	Eminence Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 528-2141	111	10	11.1	46.8%	103 (92.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.5%)	35.3	672^nd of 1015 public elementary schools	33.8%		50.3	512^th of 1005 public elementary schools	49.1%	160	14.3	29.6	5.0				18.0	35.7	48.2	30.0				39.3	44.4		44.4	40.0		100%		$17,743	$1,161	$16,582
Bainbridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	412 S Washington	Bainbridge	46105	Putnam County	North Putnam Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 522-6233	456	30	15.2	37.7%	439 (96.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.2%)	65.3	340^th of 1015 public elementary schools	66.5%		59.5	411^th of 1005 public elementary schools	59.1%	71	32.4	58.2	46.9				44.9	50.0	60.0	43.8				50.8	49.1		49.1	66.7		96.9%		$9,992	$469	$9,523
Mill Creek West Elementary	Public	K-5	4704 Pearl St	Amo	46103	Hendricks County	Mill Creek Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 539-9255	344	24	14.4	31.1%	324 (94.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	81.6	163^rd of 1015 public elementary schools	83.9%		72.3	263^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	73.8%	100	53.9	52.0	50.9				52.3	64.6	69.3	69.8				67.9	62.7		62.7	58.5		84.9%		$11,658	$294	$11,364

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : South Putnam Middle School
High : South Putnam High School

What district is Central Elementary School in?

South Putnam Community Schools

Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 265^th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary School?

Students at Central Elementary School are 93% White, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Central Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 335 students attended Central Elementary School.

Rate Central Elementary School!

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataOct 28, 2026

2025–26 attendance dataOct 28, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 20, 2026

2023–24 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

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.