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Central Elementary School

Q: Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 415 th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

415^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 72% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary School is a public elementary school in Portage, Michigan, serving 447 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Portage Public Schools district, which is ranked 95 out of 613 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Central Elementary School has shown a mixed academic performance compared to the district and state. While the school has higher proficiency rates than the state in some areas, such as 3rd grade ELA and 5th grade ELA and Science, it generally lags behind the Portage Public Schools district in most grade levels and subjects. The school has also experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 13.4% to 30.8% in recent years, which can negatively impact student learning. Additionally, Central Elementary has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 35.79% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Compared to nearby schools, Central Elementary's performance is generally lower than other Portage Public Schools elementary schools, such as Angling Road Elementary, 12th Street Elementary, and Lake Center Elementary. However, Central Elementary's performance is still better than some schools outside the Portage district, such as Tobey Elementary and Paramount Charter Academy. The school has shown some improvements in recent years, particularly in 5th grade ELA and Science proficiency, and the increased per-student spending may indicate a focus on providing additional resources and support to address the school's challenges.

439

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,490

Per pupil spending ?

31.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8422 S Westnedge Ave
Portage, MI 49002-5402

(269) 323-6100

District: Portage Public Schools

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Portage Central Middle School
High:	Portage Central High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.2%

Two or more races:

10.9%

African American:

8.0%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 54th percentile in 2015 → 72nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (49% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 18 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Michigan median (72nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school49%

District avg51%

Michigan avg39%

415^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 28%▲ up 18 pts since 2015

From top 46% (2015) to top 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Portage Public Schools

95^th of 613Portage Public Schools 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	69.6	415 of 1488	72.1%	★★★★☆
2024	61.6	527 of 1486	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.9	522 of 1470	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.2	646 of 1344	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.4	419 of 1153	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.3	519 of 1408	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.9	584 of 1448	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.4	583 of 1466	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.9	793 of 1548	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	54.5	729 of 1580	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	58.2	674 of 1533	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.7	620 of 1563	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	58.3	665 of 1566	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	73.6	386 of 1552	75.1%	★★★★☆
2010	68.1	594 of 1552	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.4	706 of 1589	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.5	567 of 1577	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.7	547 of 1565	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.6	565 of 1545	63.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	64.3	412 of 1338	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.3	644 of 1342	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.7	637 of 1321	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.4	669 of 1106	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.1	496 of 902	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.2	449 of 1171	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.5	625 of 1443	56.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	35.1	877 of 1346	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.8	755 of 1381	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.2	489 of 1350	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.4	603 of 1099	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.7	339 of 749	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.6	560 of 1134	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.0	799 of 1397	42.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	65.9	433 of 1366	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.9	453 of 1347	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.4	432 of 1334	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.7	574 of 1139	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	61.4	309 of 915	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.2	490 of 1196	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.7	520 of 1446	64.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	73.9	280 of 1206	76.8%	★★★★☆
2024	63.2	405 of 1204	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.2	418 of 1198	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.4	577 of 1102	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.3	379 of 1005	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.4	508 of 1128	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.6	520 of 1253	58.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2025)77th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)69th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)68th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)35th percentile-37 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Science59%+19 vs state

Social Studies50%+20 vs state

English Language Arts48%+6 vs state

Math45%+7 vs state

★

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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	8422 S Westnedge Ave	Portage	49002	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 323-6100	439	27	16.2	31.4%	304 (69.2%)	35 (8.0%)	31 (7.1%)	18 (4.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (10.9%)	69.6	415^th of 1488 public elementary schools	72.1%		61.6	527^th of 1486 public elementary schools	64.5%	112	44.9	35.5	58.2	55.1	33.9	45.1	59.3	49.5	$16,490	$1,276	$15,213
Woodland Elementary School	Public	K-5	1401 Woodland Dr	Portage	49024	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 323-6600	348	26	13.3	35.6%	236 (67.8%)	26 (7.5%)	34 (9.8%)	19 (5.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.2%)	61	550^th of 1488 public elementary schools	63.0%		67	457^th of 1486 public elementary schools	69.2%	93	51.9	38.3	50.8	50.0	46.7	26.2	45.9	44.3	$19,013	$1,362	$17,651
Lake Center Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10011 Portage Rd	Portage	49002	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 323-6355	494	29	17.3	17.2%	376 (76.1%)	11 (2.2%)	40 (8.1%)	18 (3.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (9.7%)	81	258^th of 1488 public elementary schools	82.7%		82.2	223^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	85.0%	35	51.3	60.5	60.9	56.6	68.4	43.2	58.0	48.9	$14,711	$1,332	$13,379
Haverhill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6633 Haverhill Ave	Portage	49024	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 323-6200	378	28	13.5	37.8%	232 (61.4%)	40 (10.6%)	33 (8.7%)	17 (4.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (14.6%)	63.1	522^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	64.9%		57.5	592^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	60.2%	70	47.5	44.9	50.0	60.7	45.7	33.9	46.4	33.9	$19,240	$1,644	$17,596
Moorsbridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7361 Moorsbridge Rd	Portage	49024	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 323-6400	591	29	20.3	11.3%	379 (64.1%)	20 (3.4%)	45 (7.6%)	86 (14.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	59 (10.0%)	87.7	162^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	89.1%		88.7	138^th of 1486 public elementary schools	90.7%	24	58.6	72.5	62.2	64.0	68.1	47.3	66.1	54.5	$12,394	$833	$11,561
Oakland Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	6325 Oakland Dr	Portage	49024	Kalamazoo County	Oakland Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(269) 324-8951	149	11	13.8	36.9%	85 (57.0%)	21 (14.1%)	18 (12.1%)	5 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (13.4%)	48.7	741^st of 1488 public elementary schools	50.2%		50.2	693^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	53.4%	48	50.0	56.3	38.1	40.9	37.5		33.3	19.1	$10,428	$1,037	$9,390
Amberly Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6637 Amberly St	Portage	49024	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 323-5900	513	32	16.2	31.4%	327 (63.7%)	73 (14.2%)	48 (9.4%)	15 (2.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (9.4%)	71	402^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	73.0%		77.7	290^th of 1486 public elementary schools	80.5%	112	47.1	58.4	57.8	61.4	65.2	35.6	45.6	32.2	$13,814	$1,244	$12,569
12th Street Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6501 S 12th St	Portage	49024	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 323-6900	589	31	18.9	20.7%	345 (58.6%)	81 (13.8%)	47 (8.0%)	56 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (10.2%)	75.1	336^th of 1488 public elementary schools	77.4%		65.9	472^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	68.2%	136	59.3	54.4	53.0	73.6	43.7	48.0	59.0	35.0	$13,185	$869	$12,316
Angling Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5340 Angling Rd	Portage	49024	Kalamazoo County	Portage Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 323-6000	360	25	14.6	28.9%	243 (67.5%)	26 (7.2%)	35 (9.7%)	27 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.1%)	61.8	540^th of 1488 public elementary schools	63.7%		71.2	386^th of 1486 public elementary schools	74.0%	154	45.5	53.4	52.5	50.0	36.2	34.4	42.6	40.3	$15,202	$1,016	$14,186
Tobey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8551 Long Lake Dr E	Scotts	49088	Kalamazoo County	Vicksburg Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 321-1600	379	28	13.4	28.0%	340 (89.7%)	3 (0.8%)	21 (5.5%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.9%)	65.7	483^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	67.5%		58.3	575^th of 1486 public elementary schools	61.3%	92	52.2	56.3	48.6	44.1	40.3	34.7	52.8	43.1	$12,818	$572	$12,246

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 : Portage Central Middle School
High : Portage Central High School

How many students attend Central Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 439 students attended Central Elementary School.

Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 415^th of 1488 Michigan 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 69% White, 11% Two or more races, 8% African American, 7% Hispanic, 4% Asian.

What district is Central Elementary School in?

Portage Public Schools

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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.