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Central Park School For Children

Q: Is Central Park School For Children a good school?

Central Park School For Children ranks 898 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

898^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Central Park School For Children is a K-8 charter school in downtown Durham serving 585 students as its own single-school charter district, separate from Durham Public Schools. The school currently ranks #898 out of 1,492 North Carolina schools, landing in the 40th percentile with a 2-star rating — a steady decline from 2017-2018, when it ranked in the 78th percentile and earned 4 stars.

Central Park's academics tell an uneven story. The school scored below the state average in math at every grade level, with 6th grade a particular concern at just 41.8% proficient. Reading is a brighter spot, especially in upper grades: 8th graders posted 70.4% proficiency in reading and 75.9% in science, both well above statewide averages. What makes the ranking surprising is the school's demographic context. Central Park reports 35.6% free/reduced lunch eligibility, yet nearby Morehead Montessori, George Watts Elementary, and Burton Elementary — all serving nearly 99% economically disadvantaged students — rank higher.

Attendance is Central Park's clearest operational strength, with a 15.9% chronic absenteeism rate that beats the state rate of 24.2% and every nearby school. When compared to Maureen Joy Charter School, a nearby K-8 charter with similar overall rank, Central Park is stronger in reading while Maureen Joy is stronger in math. The school's biggest internal concern is the wide gap in outcomes for its economically disadvantaged students, who rank near the bottom of the state. With strong attendance and solid upper-grade reading, the path forward lies in improving math proficiency and closing these internal achievement gaps.

585

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

35.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

724 Foster Street
Durham, NC 27701

(919) 682-1200

District: Central Park School For Children

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.5%

African American:

22.7%

Hispanic:

18.5%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Central Park School For Children to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 75th percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 35 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

898^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 36 pts since 2016

From top 25% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

348^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 45%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

127^th of 246Central Park School For Children among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.5	898 of 1492	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.6	642 of 1490	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.1	522 of 1505	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.3	592 of 1502	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.1	564 of 1514	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.1	537 of 1489	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.4	453 of 1473	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.6	318 of 1434	77.8%	★★★★☆
2017	75.4	318 of 1429	77.7%	★★★★☆
2016	73.1	350 of 1425	75.4%	★★★★☆
2015	79.3	254 of 1440	82.4%	★★★★☆
2014	85.3	164 of 1390	88.2%	★★★★☆
2013	73.7	311 of 1403	77.8%	★★★★☆
2012	79.6	219 of 1388	84.2%	★★★★☆
2011	74.7	303 of 1381	78.1%	★★★★☆
2010	75.6	282 of 1363	79.3%	★★★★☆
2009	59.0	633 of 1354	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.8	450 of 1324	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	52.9	690 of 1293	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	37.4	909 of 1276	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	10.5	873 of 903	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	25.8	754 of 918	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.9	779 of 924	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.1	748 of 933	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.9	731 of 927	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.8	846 of 896	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	42.1	567 of 949	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.0	615 of 927	33.7%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	74.4	80 of 634	87.4%	★★★★☆
2021	56.9	199 of 646	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	82.7	66 of 878	92.5%	★★★★★
2018	85.9	60 of 897	93.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	938 of 1447	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.4	784 of 1451	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.3	596 of 1455	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.8	684 of 1459	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.7	556 of 1458	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.3	411 of 1440	71.5%	★★★★☆
2019	63.1	501 of 1424	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.6	401 of 1405	71.5%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.8	779 of 981	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	56.9	371 of 961	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.2	386 of 951	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.9	402 of 915	56.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	19.2	1304 of 1434	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.3	1354 of 1437	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.7	1258 of 1450	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.4	1010 of 1437	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.0	1101 of 1366	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	47.6	642 of 1329	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	32.8	1013 of 1361	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.2	934 of 1332	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.4	833 of 1451	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	66.2	437 of 1450	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.4	427 of 1464	70.8%	★★★★☆
2023	64.5	478 of 1461	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.9	570 of 1464	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.2	628 of 1444	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.7	397 of 1430	72.2%	★★★★☆
2018	77.4	250 of 1413	82.3%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	54.3	78 of 159	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.6	51 of 154	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	79.4	15 of 97	84.5%	★★★★☆
2019	50.5	60 of 103	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.3	402 of 815	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.5	161 of 821	80.4%	★★★★☆
2024	59.8	217 of 801	72.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.5	460 of 1146	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.8	429 of 1172	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	75.6	248 of 1166	78.7%	★★★★☆
2023	74.4	260 of 1183	78.0%	★★★★☆
2022	73.0	281 of 1194	76.5%	★★★★☆
2021	66.8	353 of 1172	69.9%	★★★★☆
2019	77.2	218 of 1183	81.6%	★★★★☆
2018	83.4	139 of 1178	88.2%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.3	348 of 778	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.0	204 of 773	73.6%	★★★★☆
2024	71.1	198 of 793	75.0%	★★★★☆
2023	58.6	300 of 784	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.3	183 of 786	76.7%	★★★★☆
2021	65.8	226 of 741	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.5	192 of 737	73.9%	★★★★☆
2018	72.8	167 of 691	75.8%	★★★★☆
2017	68.4	208 of 694	70.0%	★★★★☆
2016	54.7	313 of 692	54.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.8	495 of 553	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.9	334 of 546	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.4	300 of 560	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.6	436 of 559	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.9	410 of 550	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.0	299 of 533	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.4	178 of 519	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.0	274 of 494	44.5%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	52.9	137 of 449	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	94.0	7 of 478	98.5%	★★★★★
2019	94.5	9 of 504	98.2%	★★★★★
2018	88.4	16 of 475	96.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.8	383 of 731	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.4	259 of 733	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	75.0	156 of 738	78.9%	★★★★☆
2023	53.7	331 of 731	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.5	163 of 733	77.8%	★★★★☆
2021	68.6	193 of 706	72.7%	★★★★☆
2019	67.8	206 of 684	69.9%	★★★★☆
2018	72.8	164 of 656	75.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.0	314 of 566	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	65.6	145 of 562	74.2%	★★★★☆
2024	60.9	171 of 564	69.7%	★★★★☆
2023	72.4	94 of 553	83.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.7	590 of 725	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	41.5	423 of 729	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.9	376 of 743	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.7	408 of 735	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.5	403 of 689	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.4	315 of 633	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.4	461 of 639	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.1	555 of 604	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.7	264 of 736	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	77.8	133 of 733	81.9%	★★★★☆
2024	63.1	248 of 751	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.2	270 of 747	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.0	212 of 748	71.7%	★★★★☆
2021	60.4	250 of 711	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.5	174 of 697	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	73.1	162 of 665	75.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.9	149 of 500	70.2%	★★★★☆
2025	91.1	11 of 478	97.7%	★★★★★
2024	77.5	38 of 473	92.0%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.1	195 of 644	69.7%	★★★★☆
2025	74.5	149 of 649	77.0%	★★★★☆
2024	76.9	141 of 652	78.4%	★★★★☆
2023	67.9	192 of 656	70.7%	★★★★☆
2022	80.3	118 of 658	82.1%	★★★★☆
2021	71.2	159 of 632	74.8%	★★★★☆
2019	81.6	93 of 624	85.1%	★★★★☆
2018	84.6	70 of 596	88.3%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

Disabled (2022)87th percentile+25 vs school

White (2026)60th percentile+20 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)51st percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2026)51st percentile+11 vs school

Male (2026)43rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)35th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)21st percentile-19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile-31 vs school

African American (2026)3rd percentile-36 vs school

Middle school

Special Education (2026)70th percentile+15 vs school

White (2026)70th percentile+14 vs school

Disabled (2022)69th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2026)64th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)48th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)45th percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile-37 vs school

African American (2026)10th percentile-45 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science66%~ state avg

Reading60%+4 vs state

Mathematics50%-10 vs state

4.3

3 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, September 19, 2016

The school needs to work on its relationship with working families. While they have increased their population of minority and lower income students, they still have policies which favor families fortunate to have a stay at home parent. For example, when they begin a school break, they dismiss students at 11:30. That is an extremely difficult time for working parents to grab their child. Also, the times for parents to come see their child's projects is at 10:30. Again, how does a working parent do this? In addition, they require parents to do a MANDATORY 4 hours of school volunteer work a month. As a working parent, these expectations feel rather condemning. Close Quote

Schools Near Central Park School For Children

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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)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		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/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	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Park School For Children	Public, Charter	K-8	724 Foster Street	Durham	27701	Durham County	Central Park School For Children	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 682-1200	585	47	12.4	35.6%	284 (48.5%)	133 (22.7%)	108 (18.5%)	13 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.9%)	40.5	898^th of 1492 public elementary schools	39.8%		55.6	642^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	56.9%	256	54.4	53.2	48.4	41.8	49.2	51.9	52.9	66.1	50.8	58.2	61.3	70.4	57.4	75.9
Global Scholars Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1305 W Club Blvd	Durham	27705	Durham County	Global Scholars Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 682-5903	201	17	11.8	98.5%	0 (0.0%)	77 (38.3%)	121 (60.2%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	18.7	1302^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	12.7%		16.8	1328^th of 1490 public elementary schools	10.9%	26	50.0	64.0	55.0	42.9	46.7	60.0	16.7	28.0	15.0	28.6	33.3	50.0	40.0	90.0
George Watts Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	700 Watts Street	Durham	27701	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 560-3947	358	25	14.2	99.2%	176 (49.2%)	55 (15.4%)	90 (25.1%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (8.4%)	69.8	421^st of 1492 public elementary schools	71.8%		76.9	299^th of 1490 public elementary schools	79.9%	122	69.1	69.2	61.9				67.3	65.4	69.0				73.8		$15,158	$1,151	$14,007
Club Boulevard Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	400 W Club Boulevard	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 560-3918	364	25	14.6	99.2%	141 (38.7%)	73 (20.1%)	128 (35.2%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.2%)	31.1	1072^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	28.2%		51.6	717^th of 1490 public elementary schools	51.9%	355	50.8	51.8	47.0				41.5	64.3	48.2				53.0		$12,570	$1,172	$11,398
Eastway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	610 North Alston Avenue	Durham	27701	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 560-3910	331	31	10.5	99.1%	12 (3.6%)	128 (38.7%)	173 (52.3%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	22.9	1226^th of 1492 public elementary schools	17.8%		17.1	1327^th of 1490 public elementary schools	10.9%	101	73.2	60.4	51.7				31.7	26.4	24.1				36.2		$13,790	$3,532	$10,259
KIPP Durham College Preparatory	Public, Charter	K-8	1107 Holloway Street	Durham	27701	Durham County	KIPP Durham College Preparatory	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 973-0285	380	26	14.9	99.2%	9 (2.4%)	180 (47.4%)	183 (48.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	10.7	1409^th of 1492 public elementary schools	5.6%		19.2	1289^th of 1490 public elementary schools	13.5%	120	57.9	28.9		36.1	66.1	52.4	21.1	24.4		22.2	33.9	38.1		57.5
Morehead Montessori	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	909 Cobb Street	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3954	278	20	14.2	98.9%	136 (48.9%)	55 (19.8%)	46 (16.5%)	12 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (10.4%)	75.6	309^th of 1492 public elementary schools	79.3%		77.3	287^th of 1490 public elementary schools	80.7%	22	81.8	55.0	67.6				81.8	65.0	73.5				80.0		$16,804	$1,621	$15,183
E K Powe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	913 9th Street	Durham	27705	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 560-3963	454	36	12.7	99.3%	170 (37.4%)	81 (17.8%)	161 (35.5%)	10 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.8%)	43.1	858^th of 1492 public elementary schools	42.5%		41.8	884^th of 1490 public elementary schools	40.7%	26	51.7	58.3	60.7				43.3	62.5	54.1				59.0		$12,287	$1,073	$11,214
C C Spaulding Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1531 S Roxboro Road	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 560-3974	247	24	10.2	98.8%	22 (8.9%)	88 (35.6%)	117 (47.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.7%)	33.9	1029^th of 1492 public elementary schools	31.0%		26	1156^th of 1490 public elementary schools	22.4%	127	59.5	48.5	80.8				40.5	24.2	38.5				69.2		$16,448	$4,879	$11,568
Maureen Joy Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	107 South Driver Street	Durham	27703	Durham County	Maureen Joy Charter	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 908-1600	631	54	11.6	99.2%	15 (2.4%)	158 (25.0%)	425 (67.4%)	10 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.5%)	38.6	931^st of 1492 public elementary schools	37.6%		37.2	959^th of 1490 public elementary schools	35.6%	28	67.2	67.7	40.0	69.1	81.9	68.1	45.3	54.8	41.4	42.6	56.9	71.0	50.0	79.7

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Park School For Children

What is the racial makeup of Central Park School For Children?

Students at Central Park School For Children are 49% White, 23% African American, 18% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Central Park School For Children a good school?

Central Park School For Children ranks 898^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Central Park School For Children in?

Central Park School For Children

How many students attend Central Park School For Children?

In the 2024-25 school year, 585 students attended Central Park School For Children.

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2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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