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Central Elementary

Q: Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 454 th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

454^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Missouri Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of Missouri elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary is a public elementary school in Pierce City, Missouri, serving 352 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Pierce City R-VI school district, which is ranked 113 out of 367 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Elementary has shown a mixed performance on state assessments, with some strengths, such as 3rd-grade math proficiency rates exceeding the state average, but also struggles, like low 4th-grade math and English Language Arts scores. The school's chronic absenteeism rate has been increasing, reaching 19.5% in 2023-2024, which is significantly higher than the state average. However, the school has performed better than the state average for students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking 245th out of 638 Missouri elementary schools in this subgroup.

Compared to nearby schools, Central Elementary's performance is generally on par or slightly better, but the higher-performing Monett schools in the region are outpacing it in many areas. The school's investment in resources, as evidenced by its per-student spending and low student-teacher ratio, has not yet translated into consistently strong academic outcomes, indicating that factors beyond just funding may need to be addressed to improve student learning and achievement.

341

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,053

Per pupil spending ?

41.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

400 Gibbs Ave
Pierce City, MO 65723-0305

(417) 476-2255

District: Pierce City R-VI

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Pierce City Middle
High:	Pierce City High

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.9%

Hispanic:

5.3%

African American:

1.5%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 25th percentile in 2019 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 50th (2025) from a 25th-percentile low (2019)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg41%

Missouri avg42%

454^th of 900

Missouri public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 30 pts since 2015

From top 20% (2015) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

113^th of 367Pierce City R-VI among Missouri 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	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	50.7	454 of 900	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.2	369 of 906	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.3	404 of 898	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.7	500 of 908	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.0	618 of 901	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.7	785 of 1052	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.1	536 of 1045	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	71.6	277 of 1032	73.2%	★★★★☆
2016	78.0	171 of 865	80.2%	★★★★☆
2015	76.2	216 of 1058	79.6%	★★★★☆
2014	42.1	708 of 1089	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.5	689 of 1108	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	56.0	509 of 1085	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.6	495 of 1088	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	72.9	237 of 1066	77.8%	★★★★☆
2009	48.0	597 of 1053	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	56.0	456 of 1084	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	59.3	406 of 1080	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	48.4	580 of 1074	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	54.4	245 of 638	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.5	147 of 625	76.5%	★★★★☆
2023	53.9	240 of 611	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.1	229 of 532	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.9	330 of 574	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.1	591 of 907	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.1	595 of 887	32.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	37.0	444 of 666	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.6	367 of 668	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.6	414 of 673	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.6	480 of 675	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.2	572 of 691	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.6	782 of 917	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.2	607 of 898	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2025)62nd percentile+12 vs school

White (2025)33rd percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Science60%+18 vs state

English Language Arts39%-4 vs state

Mathematics36%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Mathematics (2025)				MAP Science (2025)	MAP English Language Arts (2025)				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	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	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Gibbs Ave	Pierce City	65723	Lawrence County	Pierce City R-VI	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 476-2255	341	28	12.1	41.6%	310 (90.9%)	5 (1.5%)	18 (5.3%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	50.7	454^th of 900 public elementary schools	49.6%		58.2	369^th of 906 public elementary schools	59.3%	85	58.0	23.6	32.0		60.0	39.5	42.3	36.0		$12,053	$1,514	$10,539
Monett Elementary	Public	1-3	601 Learning Lane	Monett	65708	Barry County	Monett R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 235-3411	515	39	13.0	63.7%	242 (47.0%)	3 (0.6%)	227 (44.1%)	21 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.1%)	10 (1.9%)								(n/a)	26.6					31.5				$12,531	$1,242	$11,289
Monett Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	1007 6th Street	Monett	65708	Lawrence County	Monett R-I	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(417) 354-2168	276	24	11.5	67.0%	134 (48.6%)	0 (0.0%)	126 (45.7%)	15 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$16,070	$2,489	$13,582
Monett Intermediate	Public	4-5	711 9th St	Monett	65708	Barry County	Monett R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 235-6151	313	21	14.8	61.0%	160 (51.1%)	0 (0.0%)	128 (40.9%)	12 (3.8%)	2 (0.6%)	6 (1.9%)	5 (1.6%)	63.1	329^th of 900 public elementary schools	63.4%		62.8	320^th of 906 public elementary schools	64.7%	9		45.7	48.2		46.8		46.0	46.8		$11,681	$1,504	$10,178
Purdy Elementary	Public	K-6	201 S Gabby Gibbons Dr	Purdy	65734	Barry County	Purdy R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 442-3217	303	27	11.4	65.0%	177 (58.4%)	0 (0.0%)	111 (36.6%)	13 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	54.5	414^th of 900 public elementary schools	54.0%		54.2	407^th of 906 public elementary schools	55.1%	7	41.4	41.6	44.4		46.2		44.3		28.3	$11,507	$1,239	$10,269
Wildwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	214 S 11th	Sarcoxie	64862	Jasper County	Sarcoxie R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 548-3421	303	22	13.8	56.4%	240 (79.2%)	2 (0.7%)	39 (12.9%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	2 (0.7%)	15 (5.0%)	46.2	506^th of 900 public elementary schools	43.8%		66.2	288^th of 906 public elementary schools	68.2%	218	31.7	13.8	17.1		57.3	38.6	54.5	46.7		$12,739	$1,465	$11,275
Verona Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	101 E Ella St	Verona	65769	Lawrence County	Verona R-Vii	No	No	No	Yes	(833) 402-9580	152	18	8.5	67.8%	98 (64.5%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (29.6%)	8 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	29.8	663^rd of 900 public elementary schools	26.3%		39.8	561^st of 906 public elementary schools	38.1%	102	12.5	23.2		51.8		24.0				$14,074	$501	$13,573
Wheaton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	116 McCall	Wheaton	64874	Barry County	Wheaton R-III	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 652-7240	241	19	12.5	62.2%	180 (74.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.1%)	41 (17.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.7%)	29.2	669^th of 900 public elementary schools	25.7%		13.2	801^st of 906 public elementary schools	11.6%	132	29.3		38.0	27.1		29.3			21.7	$11,806	$1,118	$10,688
Pate Early Childhood Center	Public	PK, KG-2	400 Terrace Dr	Aurora	65605	Lawrence County	Aurora R-VIII	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 678-1552	474	41	11.5	66.2%	388 (81.9%)	3 (0.6%)	66 (13.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.0%)								(n/a)										$12,392	$355	$12,037
Mount Vernon Elementary	Public	K-2	301 E Blaze Rd	Mount Vernon	65712	Lawrence County	Mt. Vernon R-V	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 466-7512	319	27	11.8	52.0%	285 (89.3%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.3%)								(n/a)										$14,639	$979	$13,659

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary

Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 454^th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 341 students attended Central Elementary.

What district is Central Elementary in?

Pierce City R-VI

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 91% White, 5% Hispanic, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pierce City Middle
High : Pierce City High

Rate Central Elementary!

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