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Central Elementary

Q: Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 192 nd of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-5

192^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 52% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary is a public elementary school in Sidney, Montana, serving 272 students in grades 3-5. The school is part of the Sidney Elementary School District, which is ranked 202 out of 387 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Elementary has shown a mixed academic performance compared to the state and nearby schools. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school had higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts (46.04%) and Mathematics (40.23%) than the state averages, but a lower Science proficiency rate (24.39%) than the state average (38.16%). Compared to the nearby West Side Elementary and Fairview School, Central Elementary generally outperformed them in English Language Arts and Mathematics, but underperformed in Science. The school's academic performance has fluctuated over the years, with its statewide ranking ranging from 98 (2018-2019) to 192 (2024-2025) out of over 400 Montana elementary schools.

Central Elementary has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 40.07% in 2024-2025 to 42.58% in 2023-2024, which is higher than the nearby West Side Elementary but lower than Fairview School. The school's student-teacher ratio of 13.7 in 2024-2025 is also higher than the nearby West Side Elementary (12.6) and Fairview School (9.8).

272

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,298

Per pupil spending ?

40.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 3rd Avenue SE
Sidney, MT 59270

(406) 433-4080

District: Sidney Elementary

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sidney Middle School
High:	Sidney High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.9%

Hispanic:

10.7%

Two or more races:

5.1%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 80th percentile in 2013 → 52nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Montana median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2013

!Science scores 14 pts below the Montana average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg40%

Montana avg40%

192^nd of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▲ up 34 pts since 2015

From bottom 18% (2015) to top 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

202^nd of 387Sidney Elementary among Montana 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	Montana percentile	Rating
2025	53.1	192 of 401	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.1	141 of 332	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.0	119 of 329	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.1	149 of 356	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	23.8	98 of 123	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.7	91 of 116	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	30.7	83 of 109	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.0	165 of 191	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.3	235 of 287	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	72.4	50 of 246	79.7%	★★★★☆
2012	69.7	56 of 244	77.0%	★★★★☆
2011	68.8	66 of 247	73.3%	★★★★☆
2010	71.1	49 of 241	79.7%	★★★★☆
2009	66.4	61 of 190	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	73.7	34 of 194	82.5%	★★★★☆
2007	61.3	93 of 230	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	66.1	71 of 234	69.7%	★★★★☆
2005	89.4	7 of 218	96.8%	★★★★★
2004	35.6	152 of 217	30.0%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts46%+3 vs state

Mathematics40%+3 vs state

Science24%-14 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)				MAST English Language Arts (2025)	MAST Mathematics (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	MAST English Language Arts All Grades	MAST Mathematics All Grades	Total
Central Elementary	Public	3-5	200 3rd Avenue SE	Sidney	59270	Richland County	Sidney Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 433-4080	272	20	13.7	40.1%	220 (80.9%)	3 (1.1%)	29 (10.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (5.1%)	53.1	192^nd of 401 public elementary schools	52.1%					(n/a)	46.0	40.2	$12,298
West Side Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	1100 5th Street SW	Sidney	59270	Richland County	Sidney Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 433-5501	288	23	12.6	39.6%	249 (86.5%)	3 (1.0%)	18 (6.3%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.8%)								(n/a)			$14,013
Rau School	Public	PK, KG-6	12138 County Rd 350	Sidney	59270	Richland County	Rau Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 482-1088	70	7	10.0	41.4%	63 (90.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.9%)	38.3	260^th of 401 public elementary schools	35.2%		67	82^nd of 212 public elementary schools	61.3%	178	35.7	28.6	$15,448
Brorson School	Public	PK, KG-6	7 miles NW of Sidney Hwy 200	Sidney	59270	Richland County	Brorson Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 798-3361	5	1	4.1		4 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58	167^th of 401 public elementary schools	58.4%					(n/a)	20.0	80.0	$63,986
Fairview School	Public	PK, KG-5	713 S Western Ave	Fairview	59221	Richland County	Fairview Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 742-5265	134	14	9.8	48.5%	109 (81.3%)	5 (3.7%)	9 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (7.5%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	50.1	208^th of 401 public elementary schools	48.1%					(n/a)	42.4	37.3	$21,173

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 272 students attended Central Elementary.

Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 192^nd of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sidney Middle School
High : Sidney High School

What district is Central Elementary in?

Sidney Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 81% White, 11% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 1% African American.

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MTMontana Elementary School Rankings

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Schools in Sidney, MT

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

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.