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Central Elementary School

Q: Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 827 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

827^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 45% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary School is a K-5 public school in Hastings, MI, serving 239 students as part of the Hastings Area School District, a district rated in the top 30% of Michigan schools.

Central Elementary stands out for its notable strengths and some clear challenges. The school spends more per student ($16,618) and has the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.4:1) among its district peers, yet its overall state ranking has slipped to the 45th percentile. This is a stark contrast to nearby Northeastern Elementary School, which ranks in the 85th percentile while spending less per pupil, and Star Elementary School at the 72nd percentile. One of Central's most impressive achievements is its work with special education students, who performed in the 92nd percentile statewide—a 5-star rating that no comparable local school matches. The school also shows a fascinating "5th grade strength" pattern: its 5th graders consistently beat state averages in math and social studies, even as 3rd and 4th graders lag behind, suggesting that students may experience significant academic growth in the upper grades.

However, parents should be aware of some concerning trends. The school has seen a widening gap between female and male students, with boys now ranking in the 36th percentile compared to girls at the 50th. Chronic absenteeism affects 21.2% of students—notably higher than the 12.4% at Northeastern and 9.4% at Star—which is particularly impactful given that two-thirds of Central's students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. While the school's low-income students performed strongly in the 79th percentile just two years ago, that figure has dropped to the 48th percentile. With higher spending and smaller classes than its peers, Central has the resources to improve; the question is whether the successful strategies used in 5th grade and with special education students can be applied more broadly across all grades and student groups.

239

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,618

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: Declining — 77th percentile in 2016 → 45th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 32 percentile points since 2016

!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 (2025-2026) ?

This school34%

District avg46%

Michigan avg38%

827^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 33 pts since 2016

From top 23% (2016) to bottom 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary Schools in the Hastings Area School District

179^th of 625Hastings 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
2026	41.9	827 of 1492	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	45.7	670 of 1343	50.1%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	44.0	704 of 1352	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	34.3	876 of 1372	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	25.2	920 of 1199	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
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

Female (2026)50th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)48th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)36th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)23rd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science38%~ state avg

Social Studies35%+7 vs state

Math33%-5 vs state

English Language Arts33%-8 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				M-Step English Language Arts (2026)			M-Step Math (2026)			M-Step Science (2026)	M-Step Social Studies (2026)	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 (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	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%)	41.9	827^th of 1492 public elementary schools	44.6%		55.1	646^th of 1488 public elementary schools	56.6%	181	33.3	25.7	42.3	30.6	25.7	46.2	38.5	34.6	$16,618	$1,198	$15,420
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%)	50.5	689^th of 1492 public elementary schools	53.8%		35.2	931^st of 1488 public elementary schools	37.4%	242	45.7	43.2	50.0	42.9	37.8	19.1	44.7	23.4	$15,453	$1,154	$14,299
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%)	83	230^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.6%		77.2	304^th of 1488 public elementary schools	79.6%	74	45.8	44.4	78.8	64.6	53.3	69.2	69.2	44.2	$12,603	$1,072	$11,532
Star Elementary School	Public	K-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%)	69.1	421^st of 1492 public elementary schools	71.8%		60.6	556^th of 1488 public elementary schools	62.6%	135	55.1	46.7	51.0	63.3	54.5	31.4	49.0	33.3	$14,971	$921	$14,049
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)									$15,778	$938	$14,840
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)									$16,681	$1,781	$14,900
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)									$16,436	$982	$15,454
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)	60.9			54.0					$17,408	$1,515	$15,893
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%)	49.6	701^st of 1492 public elementary schools	53.0%		59.2	574^th of 1488 public elementary schools	61.4%	127		48.0	45.7		47.5	26.9	31.6	25.2	$13,917	$1,156	$12,761
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%)	16.9	1241^st of 1492 public elementary schools	16.8%		37	909^th of 1488 public elementary schools	38.9%	332	15.9	28.6		15.9	21.7				$13,383	$1,289	$12,094

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 : Hastings Middle School
High : Hastings High School

Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 827^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 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.

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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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 2026

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.