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Central Elementary School

Q: Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 646 th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

646^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Hastings, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 264. It is part of the Hastings Area School District, which is ranked 210 out of 613 school districts in Michigan and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Central Elementary School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio and a strong focus on supporting special education students, the school has consistently performed below the district and state averages in M-Step test scores, particularly in English Language Arts. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 3rd-grade English Language Arts proficiency rate was 34.2%, compared to the district's 40.7% and the state's 38.9%. However, the school's 5th-grade Math proficiency rate of 61% in 2024-2025 was significantly higher than the district's 39.8% and the state's 32.9%. The school also faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 18.1% to 30.8% over the past few years, which is notably higher than the state average.

Comparing Central Elementary School to the nearby Southeastern Elementary School and Northeastern Elementary School, both of which are also part of the Hastings Area School District, provides valuable insights. These nearby schools have generally outperformed Central Elementary School in M-Step test scores, particularly in Math and English Language Arts. For instance, in 2024-2025, Northeastern Elementary School had significantly higher proficiency rates in 3rd-grade Math (65.1%) and 5th-grade English Language Arts (70.8%) compared to Central Elementary School.

239

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,197

Per pupil spending ?

66.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

509 S Broadway St
Hastings, MI 49058-2265

(269) 948-4423

District: Hastings Area School District

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hastings Middle School
High:	Hastings High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.9%

Two or more races:

6.3%

Hispanic:

5.4%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 44th percentile in 2015 → 57th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 13 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Michigan median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Hastings Area School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg43%

Michigan avg39%

646^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 44% (2015) to top 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Elementary Schools in the Hastings Area School District

210^th of 613Hastings Area School District among Michigan 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	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	55.1	646 of 1488	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.0	536 of 1486	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.6	447 of 1470	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.6	581 of 1344	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.1	401 of 1153	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.0	550 of 1408	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.7	512 of 1448	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	46.0	751 of 1466	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	73.8	350 of 1548	77.4%	★★★★☆
2015	47.1	881 of 1580	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	64.2	552 of 1533	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	72.4	393 of 1563	74.9%	★★★★☆
2012	66.4	502 of 1566	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.5	771 of 1552	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.5	770 of 1552	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	49.1	1074 of 1589	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.7	915 of 1577	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	46.5	1069 of 1565	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	53.6	888 of 1545	42.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	51.6	593 of 1338	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.9	397 of 1342	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	70.7	301 of 1321	77.2%	★★★★☆
2022	42.5	616 of 1106	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.4	385 of 902	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.6	570 of 1171	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.0	714 of 1443	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	60.9	440 of 1346	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.8	289 of 1381	79.1%	★★★★☆
2023	67.0	325 of 1350	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	70.5	221 of 1099	79.9%	★★★★☆
2021	74.1	119 of 749	84.1%	★★★★☆
2019	67.7	261 of 1134	77.0%	★★★★☆
2018	74.4	246 of 1397	82.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	60.9	500 of 1366	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.2	646 of 1347	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.3	546 of 1334	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.0	568 of 1139	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.0	275 of 915	69.9%	★★★★☆
2019	59.2	441 of 1196	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.0	306 of 1446	78.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	86.0	17 of 225	92.4%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	36.4	788 of 1206	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.0	590 of 1204	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.2	448 of 1198	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.9	663 of 1102	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.5	490 of 1005	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.7	652 of 1128	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.1	635 of 1253	49.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2024)92nd percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)67th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)63rd percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)56th percentile~ school

White (2025)35th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Science44%+4 vs state

Social Studies44%+14 vs state

English Language Arts41%~ state avg

Math39%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Central Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				M-Step English Language Arts (2025)			M-Step Math (2025)			M-Step Science (2025)	M-Step 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	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step 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	509 S Broadway St	Hastings	49058	Barry County	Hastings Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 948-4423	239	19	12.4	66.5%	210 (87.9%)	1 (0.4%)	13 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.3%)	55.1	646^th of 1488 public elementary schools	56.6%		61	536^th of 1486 public elementary schools	63.9%	110	34.2	42.9	46.3	23.7	28.6	61.0	43.9	43.9	$15,197	$1,385	$13,811
Southeastern Elementary School	Public	K-5	1300 S East St	Hastings	49058	Barry County	Hastings Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 948-4419	261	19	13.5	64.8%	228 (87.4%)	2 (0.8%)	13 (5.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.1%)	35.2	931^st of 1488 public elementary schools	37.4%		33.3	964^th of 1486 public elementary schools	35.1%	33	42.9	43.5	17.8	48.6	30.4	13.3	28.3	23.9	$15,618	$1,605	$14,014
Northeastern Elementary School	Public	K-5	519 E Grant St	Hastings	49058	Barry County	Hastings Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 948-4421	306	19	15.9	43.5%	288 (94.1%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.2%)	77.2	304^th of 1488 public elementary schools	79.6%		61.3	532^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	64.2%	228	44.2	47.2	70.8	65.1	43.4	64.6	58.3	45.8	$12,491	$1,167	$11,324
Star Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1900 Star School Rd	Hastings	49058	Barry County	Hastings Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 948-4442	287	17	16.6	48.8%	262 (91.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.8%)	60.6	556^th of 1488 public elementary schools	62.6%		59.3	564^th of 1486 public elementary schools	62.0%	8	41.3	63.0	46.8	39.1	60.9	21.3	51.1	34.0	$14,154	$1,072	$13,082
Lakewood Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	223 W Broadway St	Woodland	48897	Barry County	Lakewood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 367-4935	134	10	14.1	30.6%	110 (82.1%)	1 (0.7%)	15 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.0%)								(n/a)									$15,507	$1,076	$14,431
Fuller Street Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-2	251 Fuller St	Nashville	49073	Barry County	Maple Valley Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 852-9468	204	15	13.3	56.9%	186 (91.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.4%)								(n/a)									$15,880	$1,530	$14,349
McFall Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-1	509 W Main St	Middleville	49333	Barry County	Thornapple Kellogg School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 795-3637	506	31	16.2	37.9%	446 (88.1%)	8 (1.6%)	29 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.0%)								(n/a)									$15,235	$1,949	$13,287
Lee Elementary School	Public, Magnet	2-3	840 W Main St	Middleville	49333	Barry County	Thornapple Kellogg School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 795-9747	398	26	15.5	34.7%	357 (89.7%)	3 (0.8%)	14 (3.5%)	5 (1.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.0%)								(n/a)	57.1			55.4					$15,518	$2,489	$13,029
Page Elementary School	Public, Magnet	4-5	3675 Bender Rd	Middleville	49333	Barry County	Thornapple Kellogg School District	No	Yes	No	No	(269) 795-7944	484	28	17.3	44.0%	424 (87.6%)	8 (1.7%)	23 (4.8%)	5 (1.0%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.9%)	59.2	574^th of 1488 public elementary schools	61.4%		54.5	642^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	56.8%	68		47.1	56.4		45.0	35.0	42.7	30.3	$13,407	$1,123	$12,284
Delton Kellogg Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	327 N Grove St	Delton	49046	Barry County	Delton Kellogg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 623-1535	405	25	15.9	55.6%	387 (95.6%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.7%)	37	909^th of 1488 public elementary schools	38.9%		43.4	795^th of 1486 public elementary schools	46.5%	114	28.0	43.4		36.0	27.6				$13,740	$2,003	$11,738

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary School

Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 646^th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary School?

Students at Central Elementary School are 88% White, 6% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Hastings Middle School
High : Hastings High School

How many students attend Central Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 239 students attended Central Elementary School.

What district is Central Elementary School in?

Hastings Area School District

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