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Central Elementary

Q: Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 124 th of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

124^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 377 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of Mississippi elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary is a small PK–4 school in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District, located at 1100 Dupont Street in Pascagoula, MS, serving 245 students. The school enrolls fewer students than nearby Gautier Elementary (397), Eastlawn (337), and Arlington (333), but is larger than Beach (100) and Lake (96). Central serves a high-poverty student population — with nearly all students eligible for free/reduced lunch — yet the school has achieved some notable successes that stand out in the local area.

One of Central's biggest strengths is attendance. Its chronic absenteeism rate fell from 23.0% in 2018–19 to 14.9% in 2023–24, well below the district (21.1%) and state (23.9%) averages. Among nearby schools, only Beach Elementary (7.2%) has a lower rate. Central's reading scores are also strong: 60% of 3rd graders and 62.8% of 4th graders scored proficient in English Language Arts in 2025–26, outpacing district and state averages by double digits. The school's 4th grade ELA proficiency has jumped from 39.1% in 2022–23 to 62.8% today. With a student-teacher ratio of 13.2, class sizes are comparatively manageable.

The one clear vulnerability is math. While 3rd grade math proficiency (50%) sits just above the state average, 4th grade math (45.7%) trails both the district (54.9%) and state (51.5%). Central's state ranking slipped from 87th to 123rd largely because of a decline in math scores, not reading. In the local comparison, Central ranks in the middle of the pack behind Beach, Lake, Gautier, and Jackson, but well ahead of Arlington, Eastlawn, and Escatawpa Upper Elementary of the Moss Point School District. For parents, the picture is promising: solid literacy, improving attendance, and smaller classes — with math intervention the clearest opportunity for growth.

245

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,374

Per pupil spending ?

79.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1100 Dupont Street
Pascagoula, MS 39567

(228) 938-6559

District: Pascagoula-Gautier School District

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Trent Lott
	William M Colmer Middle
High:	Pascagoula High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

49.8%

White:

29.0%

Hispanic:

15.9%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 43rd percentile in 2016 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 24 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Mississippi median (67th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg52%

Mississippi avg50%

124^th of 377

Mississippi public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 24 pts since 2016

From bottom 43% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District

35^th of 133Pascagoula-Gautier School District among Mississippi 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	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	64.5	124 of 377	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.2	87 of 380	77.1%	★★★★☆
2024	58.7	160 of 380	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.7	181 of 358	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	69.6	108 of 355	69.6%	★★★★☆
2021	69.9	105 of 352	70.2%	★★★★☆
2019	62.9	139 of 354	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.7	146 of 351	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	57.1	168 of 406	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	42.6	224 of 394	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	45.0	211 of 402	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	28.7	313 of 394	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	40.7	258 of 408	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.6	206 of 414	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	29.2	329 of 418	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.4	305 of 403	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	46.1	228 of 392	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	34.8	274 of 394	30.5%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts62%+11 vs state

Mathematics47%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central Elementary

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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)				MAAP English Language Arts (2026)			MAAP Mathematics (2026)			MAAP Science (2026)	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/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	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	Total
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1100 Dupont Street	Pascagoula	39567	Jackson County	Pascagoula-Gautier School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 938-6559	245	18	13.2	79.6%	71 (29.0%)	122 (49.8%)	39 (15.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.5%)	64.5	124^th of 377 public elementary schools	67.1%		74.2	87^th of 380 public elementary schools	77.1%	37	60.0	62.8		50.0	45.7			$15,374
Beach Elementary	Public	K-4	633 Market Street	Pascagoula	39567	Jackson County	Pascagoula-Gautier School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 938-6428	100	7	15.2	—	80 (80.0%)	10 (10.0%)	9 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	91.4	20^th of 377 public elementary schools	94.7%		95.4	4^th of 380 public elementary schools	98.9%	16	62.6	69.6		81.3	86.9			$14,020
Eastlawn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2611 Ingalls Ave	Pascagoula	39567	Jackson County	Pascagoula-Gautier School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 938-6431	337	24	13.9	66.2%	133 (39.5%)	114 (33.8%)	62 (18.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (8.0%)	32.8	262^nd of 377 public elementary schools	30.5%		55.5	173^rd of 380 public elementary schools	54.5%	89	36.1	40.0		27.8	51.6			$13,686
Lake Elementary	Public	K-4	4503 Willow Street	Pascagoula	39567	Jackson County	Pascagoula-Gautier School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 938-6422	96	9	10.8	66.7%	53 (55.2%)	29 (30.2%)	7 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (7.3%)	82.4	51^st of 377 public elementary schools	86.5%		69	116^th of 380 public elementary schools	69.5%	65	66.7	63.1		57.1	73.7			$18,603
Jackson Elementary	Public	K-4	3203 Lanier Street	Pascagoula	39581	Jackson County	Pascagoula-Gautier School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 938-6554	193	13	14.7	82.9%	25 (13.0%)	109 (56.5%)	47 (24.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.7%)	67.8	112^th of 377 public elementary schools	70.3%		59.5	159^th of 380 public elementary schools	58.2%	47	71.0	50.0		67.7	47.2			$16,180
Cherokee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	4102 Scovel Rd	Pascagoula	39581	Jackson County	Pascagoula-Gautier School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 938-6547	206	16	12.5	74.3%	56 (27.2%)	95 (46.1%)	43 (20.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.8%)	49.6	190^th of 377 public elementary schools	49.6%		75.9	77^th of 380 public elementary schools	79.7%	113	37.6	47.9		36.1	76.1			$17,530
Arlington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	3511 Arlington Street	Pascagoula	39581	Jackson County	Pascagoula-Gautier School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 938-6552	333	22	14.8	85.3%	39 (11.7%)	189 (56.8%)	86 (25.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.8%)	34.6	252^nd of 377 public elementary schools	33.2%		29.1	282^nd of 380 public elementary schools	25.8%	30	42.4	48.3		28.7	39.6			$13,618
Kreole Primary Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	6312 Martin Luther King Blvd	Moss Point	39563	Jackson County	Moss Point School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 475-3719	419	26	15.8	—	71 (16.9%)	305 (72.8%)	37 (8.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)								(n/a)								$18,420
Gautier Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	505 Magnolia Tree	Gautier	39553	Jackson County	Pascagoula-Gautier School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 522-8824	397	28	14.4	81.6%	115 (29.0%)	189 (47.6%)	59 (14.9%)	7 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.5%)	72.8	95^th of 377 public elementary schools	74.8%		69.8	109^th of 380 public elementary schools	71.3%	14	57.4	62.9		60.3	55.1			$13,774
Escatawpa Upper Elementary	Public	3-5	4208 Jamestown Road	Moss Point	39563	Jackson County	Moss Point School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 474-3300	342	26	13.3	—	61 (17.8%)	218 (63.7%)	41 (12.0%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.3%)	13.6	337^th of 377 public elementary schools	10.6%		22.7	311^th of 380 public elementary schools	18.2%	26	27.4	33.4	41.9	16.2	22.3	31.2	46.3	$19,389

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 50% African American, 29% White, 16% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 124^th of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 245 students attended Central Elementary.

What district is Central Elementary in?

Pascagoula-Gautier School District

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Trent Lott
Middle : William M Colmer Middle
High : Pascagoula High

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataNewOct 6, 2026

2025–26 MAAP test scoresAug 21, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataSep 26, 2025

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