Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Central Elementary

Q: Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 171 st of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

171^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 80% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary is a PK–5 school with 413 students in Norwood Young America, a small town roughly 45 minutes west of the Twin Cities, and it is the elementary campus of the Central Public School District.

Central Elementary is in the middle of a turnaround: after years in the 3-star band, it reached the 85th percentile in 2024-25 and held at the 80th percentile (4 stars) in 2025-26. In 2025-26, proficiency was 66.3% in math, 58.9% in reading, and 34.5% in science—above state and district averages in all three subjects, with a math gap over its district of +18.7 points. The school serves 31.2% free/reduced-lunch students, roughly three times the low-income share of Laketown Elementary, Southview Elementary, and Bayview Elementary in Waconia Public School District, yet it lands within 2–10 points of them in math and reading. Against Lester Prairie Elementary, its closest demographic and geographic peer, the school is ahead by 35 points in math, 21 in reading, and 23 in science.

The strongest sign is subgroup performance: low-income students ranked in the 94th percentile (5 stars) in 2025-26, and male students ranked in the 90th percentile (5 stars). Special education students were at the 85th percentile (4 stars) in 2024-25. That pattern suggests effective school practices, not an advantaged intake. Areas to watch include science, which fell from 50% in 2022-23 to 34.5% in 2025-26; a 5th-grade math dip (57.6% vs. 73.0% in 4th grade); a gender gap in which female students dropped from the 77th to the 57th percentile while males stayed near the top; and a student-teacher ratio that rose from 11.8 to 14.2 as poverty increased. The school remains a high-value-added school, but holding its gains will depend on addressing science, the 5th-grade math pattern, and the female-student gap.

413

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,102

Per pupil spending ?

31.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

91.1%

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

Exemptions: 8.9% (MMR)

655 7th St SW
Norwood Young America, MN 55368-0367

(952) 467-7300

District: Central Public School District

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Central Middle
High:	Central Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.7%

Hispanic:

10.2%

Two or more races:

7.7%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 48th percentile in 2016 → 80th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (59% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 20% of Minnesota elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 32 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg46%

Minnesota avg43%

171^st of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 20%▲ up 32 pts since 2016

From bottom 48% (2016) to top 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

125^th of 458Central Public School District among Minnesota 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	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	77.7	171 of 869	80.3%	★★★★☆
2025	81.2	135 of 872	84.5%	★★★★☆
2024	57.9	408 of 881	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.8	332 of 845	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.2	280 of 858	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.1	303 of 869	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.9	311 of 870	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.7	403 of 847	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	64.7	330 of 853	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.8	441 of 848	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	62.6	357 of 840	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.4	282 of 826	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.9	321 of 824	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.1	382 of 820	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	59.5	393 of 814	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	59.6	385 of 803	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	61.7	180 of 434	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	59.2	365 of 781	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	47.4	512 of 777	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	53.0	432 of 756	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2005	64.1	243 of 685	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	51.4	390 of 676	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2003	63.7	258 of 674	61.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	57.3	339 of 790	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.4	185 of 799	76.8%	★★★★☆
2024	55.2	395 of 809	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.7	389 of 787	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.9	342 of 799	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.7	337 of 783	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.5	190 of 787	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	56.0	402 of 774	48.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	86.8	48 of 764	93.7%	★★★★★
2025	75.6	121 of 764	84.2%	★★★★☆
2024	41.6	497 of 793	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	72.8	159 of 774	79.5%	★★★★☆
2019	64.0	253 of 740	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.4	377 of 728	48.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	84.2	80 of 807	90.1%	★★★★★
2025	80.1	120 of 812	85.2%	★★★★☆
2024	56.7	388 of 826	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.3	294 of 799	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.4	202 of 808	75.0%	★★★★☆
2021	67.8	241 of 784	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.1	395 of 798	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.4	373 of 779	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	74.3	86 of 562	84.7%	★★★★☆
2024	48.5	289 of 572	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	60.2	175 of 524	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.2	165 of 500	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.3	220 of 463	52.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	70.2	182 of 710	74.4%	★★★★☆
2025	72.3	168 of 714	76.5%	★★★★☆
2024	37.1	501 of 730	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.0	478 of 712	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.4	404 of 725	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.2	463 of 710	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.4	332 of 722	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.4	459 of 712	35.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)94th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2026)90th percentile+10 vs school

Special Education (2025)85th percentile~ school

White (2026)74th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2026)57th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math66%+21 vs state

Reading59%+10 vs state

Science34%+9 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Central Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Central Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Central Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)							MCA-IV Science (2026)			MCA-III Math (2026)							Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	MCA-IV Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-IV Reading 4th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 5th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 6th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 7th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 8th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science 8th Grade	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	655 7th St SW	Norwood Young America	55368	Carver County	Central Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(952) 467-7300	413	29	14.2	31.2%	329 (79.7%)	10 (2.4%)	42 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.7%)	77.7	171^st of 869 public elementary schools	80.3%		81.2	135^th of 872 public elementary schools	84.5%	36	54.4	58.7	64.4				58.9	34.5		34.5	67.6	73.0	57.6				66.3	91.1%	8.9%	$10,102
Cologne Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1221 Village Pkwy	Cologne	55322	Carver County	Cologne Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(952) 466-2276	679	60	11.2	13.1%	474 (69.8%)	13 (1.9%)	29 (4.3%)	132 (19.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (4.1%)	96.8	7^th of 869 public elementary schools	99.2%		96	8^th of 872 public elementary schools	99.1%	1	72.4	80.8	88.6	76.3	73.7	88.4	79.0	59.5	58.1	59.0	91.4	90.0	82.3	67.1	88.0	88.6	84.7	88.2%	7.9%	$12,205
Cologne Academy Online	Public, Virtual, Charter	K-8	1221 Village Pkwy	Cologne	55322	Carver County	Cologne Academy	Yes	No	Yes	No	(952) 466-2276	22	6	3.7	50.0%	21 (95.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)							60.0										46.7
Southview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	225 4th St W	Waconia	55387	Carver County	Waconia Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(952) 442-0620	544	36	15.0	13.6%	485 (89.2%)	9 (1.7%)	22 (4.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.6%)	80.9	137^th of 869 public elementary schools	84.2%		82.5	115^th of 872 public elementary schools	86.8%	22	67.5	63.4	67.0				65.8	27.8		27.8	79.0	81.2	50.0				69.6	82.6%	9.3%	$11,679
Bayview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	24 S Walnut St	Waconia	55387	Carver County	Waconia Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(952) 442-0630	530	43	12.1	16.0%	462 (87.2%)	4 (0.8%)	37 (7.0%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.0%)	81	136^th of 869 public elementary schools	84.3%		85.9	83^rd of 872 public elementary schools	90.5%	53	52.0	61.5	71.4				62.7	33.3		33.3	78.7	66.7	63.8				68.8	96.6%	3.4%	$11,341
Laketown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	960 Airport Road	Waconia	55387	Carver County	Waconia Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 442-0690	530	40	13.2	10.0%	472 (89.1%)	8 (1.5%)	23 (4.3%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.8%)	88.8	52^nd of 869 public elementary schools	94.0%		89.3	50^th of 872 public elementary schools	94.3%	2	58.0	69.8	79.1				68.8	43.0		43.0	72.7	77.3	74.7				74.9	82.5%	14.3%	$11,092
Lester Prairie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	131 Hickory St N	Lester Prairie	55354	McLeod County	Lester Prairie Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 395-2521	213	18	11.9	36.2%	149 (70.0%)	1 (0.5%)	55 (25.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.3%)	30	643^rd of 869 public elementary schools	26.0%		40.1	571^st of 872 public elementary schools	34.5%	72	45.8	35.3	38.5	38.9			39.2	11.5		11.5	33.3	35.3	23.1	33.3			31.7	79.2%	4.2%	$9,504
Lincoln Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	1621 16th St E	Glencoe	55336	McLeod County	Glencoe-Silver Lake School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 864-2677	290	24	12.2	42.8%	202 (69.7%)	1 (0.3%)	79 (27.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)								(n/a)																		84%	16%	$12,679
SW Metro East Union Level 4	Public	K-8	15655 County Road 43	Carver	55315	Carver County	Southwest Metro Intermediate 288	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(952) 567-8194	14	5	2.8	42.9%	9 (64.3%)	1 (7.1%)	3 (21.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.1%)								(n/a)							12.9										12.9
SW Metro Reflections K-6	Public	K-6	303 E. 6th St	Chaska	55379	Carver County	Southwest Metro Intermediate 288	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(952) 567-8141	4	0		—	2 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (25.0%)	1 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary

Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 171^st of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 413 students attended Central Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 80% White, 10% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Central Middle
High : Central Senior High

What district is Central Elementary in?

Central Public School District

Rate Central Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MNMinnesota Elementary School Rankings

MNMinnesota District Rankings

Schools in Norwood Young America, MN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Central Elementary!

Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2022–23 dropout ratesNewNov 13, 2026

2019–20 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 MCA-III & MCA-IV test scoresSep 30, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

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