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Central School

Q: Is Central School a good school?

Central School ranks 997 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

997^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 33% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Central School is an elementary school in Vassar, MI, serving 366 students in grades K-5 within the Vassar Public Schools district, where about 63% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Central School has shown a positive overall trajectory in recent years, moving from the 12th percentile statewide in 2020-2021 to the 33rd percentile for 2025-2026. One of its standout strengths is how well it supports students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds—its low-income students ranked in the 59th percentile in 2024-2025, significantly outperforming the school's overall rank. The school also keeps chronic absenteeism at 22.4%, which is better than both the state average (27.9%) and its own district rate (28.7%), though it still trails nearby schools like North Elementary School (11.1%) and Meachum Elementary (15.8%). A notable concern is a widening gender gap—female students ranked in the 37th percentile while male students dropped to the 26th percentile in 2025-2026, a decline from previous years.

Math proficiency presents a clear challenge, particularly as students advance. While 3rd-grade math scores (33.3%) approach the state average (42.9%), 5th-grade math proficiency falls to just 17.7%—nearly 15 points below the state average and far behind Reese Elementary School (50%) and Mayville Elementary School (41%). Test scores also fluctuate significantly year to year, making trends hard to predict. Interestingly, Central School spends more per student ($16,461) than higher-performing neighbors like Reese ($13,363) and Lorenz C List School ($12,168), suggesting resources alone don't explain performance differences. The school experienced a dramatic spike in chronic absenteeism to 52.7% during 2021-2022 but has since recovered to pre-pandemic levels, showing resilience in the face of disruption.

366

Students ?

17.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,461

Per pupil spending ?

63.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

425 Division St
Vassar, MI 48768

(989) 823-8566

District: Vassar Public Schools

Students who attend Central School usually attend:

High:

Vassar Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.2%

Hispanic:

4.4%

Two or more races:

4.1%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Central School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 45th percentile in 2016 → 33rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (28% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg28%

Michigan avg38%

997^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 45% (2016) to bottom 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

431^st of 625Vassar 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
2026	30.5	997 of 1492	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.8	882 of 1488	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.3	899 of 1486	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.9	1024 of 1470	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.9	997 of 1344	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.1	1017 of 1153	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.4	1075 of 1408	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.6	1041 of 1448	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	38.1	903 of 1466	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	46.1	850 of 1548	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	48.1	867 of 1580	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	47.9	864 of 1533	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.6	961 of 1563	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	56.9	695 of 1566	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.9	759 of 1552	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	55.8	944 of 1552	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	60.6	787 of 1589	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	51.6	1005 of 1577	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	43.7	1125 of 1565	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	32.8	1277 of 1545	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	33.8	849 of 1343	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.4	780 of 1338	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.7	954 of 1342	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.5	899 of 1321	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.0	720 of 1106	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.2	798 of 902	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.0	968 of 1171	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.1	958 of 1443	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	35.7	855 of 1352	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.0	549 of 1346	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.3	630 of 1381	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.4	795 of 1350	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.9	723 of 1099	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	20.8	658 of 749	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	895 of 1134	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.3	968 of 1397	30.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	24.8	1015 of 1372	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.4	942 of 1366	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.2	826 of 1347	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.5	1030 of 1334	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.4	944 of 1139	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.1	837 of 915	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.4	997 of 1196	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.5	1061 of 1446	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	28.5	320 of 403	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	21.4	985 of 1199	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.7	943 of 1206	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	966 of 1204	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.8	1045 of 1198	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.8	962 of 1102	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.6	951 of 1005	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.8	994 of 1128	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.6	1039 of 1253	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)37th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)37th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)26th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2018)21st percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)18th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts35%-6 vs state

Science31%-9 vs state

Math25%-13 vs state

Social Studies14%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central 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 School	Public	K-5	425 Division St	Vassar	48768	Tuscola County	Vassar Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 823-8566	366	21	17.4	63.1%	319 (87.2%)	11 (3.0%)	16 (4.4%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.1%)	30.5	997^th of 1492 public elementary schools	33.2%		38.8	882^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	40.7%	115	31.3	35.3	37.1	33.3	27.5	17.7	30.6	14.5	$16,461	$2,561	$13,900
Reese Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9535 Center St	Reese	48757	Tuscola County	Reese Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 868-4561	328	19	17.5	58.2%	280 (85.4%)	4 (1.2%)	22 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.8%)	67.4	443^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	70.3%		72.4	380^th of 1488 public elementary schools	74.5%	63	69.2	55.2	44.0	69.2	46.3	50.0	28.0	26.0	$13,363	$2,084	$11,279
Meachum Elementary	Public	K-5	8537 Gleason St	Millington	48746	Tuscola County	Millington Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 660-2432	476	28	16.8	54.4%	463 (97.3%)	5 (1.1%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	56.8	597^th of 1492 public elementary schools	60.0%		53.9	661^st of 1488 public elementary schools	55.6%	64	35.2	37.7	56.3	42.3	40.3	27.6	54.0	34.5	$12,849	$1,250	$11,599
Lorenz C List School	Public	PK, KG-4	805 E Genesee St	Frankenmuth	48734	Saginaw County	Frankenmuth School District	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 652-6187	479	25	19.5	17.7%	420 (87.7%)	8 (1.7%)	34 (7.1%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.3%)	91.9	104^th of 1492 public elementary schools	93.0%		75.3	334^th of 1488 public elementary schools	77.6%	230	61.5	70.8		64.8	74.5				$12,168	$288	$11,880
McComb Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	303 N Hooper St	Caro	48723	Tuscola County	Caro Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 673-3169	321	25	12.6	61.7%	303 (94.4%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.1%)								(n/a)									$17,102	$2,859	$14,243
Schall Elementary School	Public	3-5	325 E Frank St	Caro	48723	Tuscola County	Caro Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 673-3168	295	18	16.2	60.7%	253 (85.8%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.8%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (4.1%)	35.6	922^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	38.2%		37.5	901^st of 1488 public elementary schools	39.4%	21	22.4	34.9	33.6	31.0	37.3	31.8	40.9	16.4	$15,033	$2,370	$12,662
Mayville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	106 Orchard St	Mayville	48744	Tuscola County	Mayville Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 843-6115	248	16	15.5	71.0%	229 (92.3%)	2 (0.8%)	9 (3.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.4%)	51	679^th of 1492 public elementary schools	54.5%		51.7	692^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	53.5%	13	28.1	37.5	43.6	53.1	66.7	41.0	30.8	15.4	$15,189	$2,753	$12,436
AkronFairgrove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4335 Lynn St	Akron	48701	Tuscola County	Akron-Fairgrove Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 691-5141	179	9	19.5	63.7%	170 (95.0%)	1 (0.6%)	5 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	32.8	957^th of 1492 public elementary schools	35.9%		54.4	654^th of 1488 public elementary schools	56.0%	303	30.4	23.7	25.0	43.5	21.1	20.8	50.0	25.0	$14,444	$2,762	$11,682
North Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	12440 Church St	Birch Run	48415	Saginaw County	Birch Run Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 624-9011	682	40	17.0	58.7%	653 (95.7%)	6 (0.9%)	16 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	42.9	810^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.7%		39.2	877^th of 1488 public elementary schools	41.1%	67	37.9	33.1		37.1	38.7				$13,165	$1,099	$12,066
Clio Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	12167 N Lewis Rd	Clio	48420	Genesee County	Clio Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(810) 591-5071	726	37	19.5	70.0%	606 (83.5%)	24 (3.3%)	52 (7.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.6%)								(n/a)	43.3			46.3					$13,960	$956	$13,005

Frequently Asked Questions about Central School

What is the racial makeup of Central School?

Students at Central School are 87% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Central School attend?

Students who attend Central School usually go on to attend:

High : Vassar Senior High School

How many students attend Central School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 366 students attended Central School.

Is Central School a good school?

Central School ranks 997^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Central School in?

Vassar Public Schools

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresNewSep 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.