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Central Elementary

Q: Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 1038 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1038^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary is a K-5 school in Hillsborough, NC, serving 261 students in the heart of Orange County. It belongs to Orange County Schools, a district that ranks in the 72nd percentile statewide, but Central itself ranked in just the 30th percentile of North Carolina elementary schools for the 2025-26 school year, earning 2 stars. Historically, the school has placed in the low-to-mid 20s percentile since 2015-16, with a severe low of the 11th percentile in 2020-21. The most recent two years show modest improvement, but the school remains well below its district peers.

Academically, Central trails its district by wide margins in nearly every grade and subject. In 2025-26, 4th-grade reading proficiency was 43.5%, compared with 63.4% across the district — a 20-point gap. Fifth-grade math proficiency was 47.5% versus a 71.1% district average. Even the school's strongest subject area, 5th-grade science, came in at 65%, roughly 8 points below the district. Attendance is an especially standout concern: 33.3% of Central students were chronically absent in 2024-25, compared to just 9.1% at Hillsborough Elementary, which sits less than a quarter-mile away and ranks in the 93rd percentile statewide. That is the highest rate among all nearby schools.

Central's students also face substantial economic disadvantage: 98.85% qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024-25, up sharply from 71.78% the prior year. But poverty alone does not explain the performance gap. Efland Cheeks Elementary and New Hope Elementary serve similarly high levels of economic disadvantage (around 99%) yet outperform Central substantially in math and reading. A bright spot is 5th-grade science, which has improved from 34.6% proficiency in 2022-23 to 65% in 2025-26. Central also has comparatively strong resources, including an 11.1:1 student-teacher ratio and per-pupil spending of $14,465. Still, the clearest opportunities for improvement are reducing chronic absenteeism and strengthening literacy and math support, particularly for students in the most vulnerable subgroups.

261

Students ?

11.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

154 Hayes St
Hillsborough, NC 27278-2319

(919) 732-3622

District: Orange County Schools

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Gravelly Hill Middle
High:	Orange High

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.2%

African American:

27.6%

Hispanic:

24.1%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 25th percentile in 2016 → 30th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (51% vs 61% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (33% vs 24% North Carolina)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg67%

North Carolina avg61%

1,038^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 25% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

69^th of 246Orange County Schools 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.4	1038 of 1492	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.1	1017 of 1490	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.8	1102 of 1505	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	1148 of 1502	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.7	1180 of 1514	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.2	1323 of 1489	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.9	1266 of 1473	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.0	1090 of 1434	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	44.0	852 of 1429	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	30.7	1065 of 1425	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	33.2	1034 of 1440	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	28.2	1035 of 1390	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	41.4	824 of 1403	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	17.9	1240 of 1388	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	29.8	1073 of 1381	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	36.7	978 of 1363	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	40.8	906 of 1354	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	37.0	905 of 1324	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	36.6	943 of 1293	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	28.6	1022 of 1276	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.3	847 of 903	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	30.7	695 of 918	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.9	736 of 924	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.8	779 of 933	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.0	775 of 927	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.6	830 of 896	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.8	903 of 949	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	46.6	497 of 927	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	21.4	801 of 897	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.5	894 of 1447	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.4	1018 of 1451	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.2	1054 of 1455	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.9	1163 of 1459	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.8	1204 of 1458	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.1	1378 of 1440	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.4	1308 of 1424	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	24.8	1159 of 1405	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.8	704 of 743	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	53.0	430 of 669	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.4	540 of 582	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	610 of 981	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.5	429 of 961	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.8	523 of 951	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.7	621 of 915	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.7	445 of 893	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.5	242 of 851	71.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.0	924 of 1434	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.8	939 of 1437	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.7	1000 of 1450	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.1	1020 of 1437	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.8	1121 of 1366	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.1	1290 of 1329	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.4	1127 of 1361	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.8	1014 of 1332	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	29.2	1079 of 1451	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.5	980 of 1450	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.9	1123 of 1464	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	1043 of 1461	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.7	1038 of 1464	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.4	1076 of 1444	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.2	1083 of 1430	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.2	988 of 1413	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	28.2	647 of 821	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.6	700 of 1146	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.5	853 of 1172	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.2	937 of 1166	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.9	796 of 1183	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.3	868 of 1194	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.1	767 of 1172	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.2	944 of 1183	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.9	1086 of 1178	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

White (2026)39th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)38th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)38th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)36th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)26th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2025)21st percentile-11 vs school

Disabled (2018)11th percentile-13 vs school

African American (2026)6th percentile-24 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)5th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science65%-3 vs state

Mathematics52%-12 vs state

Reading46%-10 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)				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 Elementary	Public	K-5	154 Hayes St	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 732-3622	261	23	11.1	98.9%	105 (40.2%)	72 (27.6%)	63 (24.1%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.5%)	33.4	1038^th of 1492 public elementary schools	30.4%		34.1	1017^th of 1490 public elementary schools	31.7%	21	48.6	58.7	47.5				43.2	43.5	52.5				65.0		$14,465	$1,168	$13,297
Hillsborough Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	402 North Nash Street	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-6137	435	30	14.6	17.5%	337 (77.5%)	28 (6.4%)	30 (6.9%)	11 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.7%)	90.8	103^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	93.1%		90.8	98^th of 1490 public elementary schools	93.4%	5	87.5	82.6	86.5				76.7	75.4	81.1				82.4		$11,531	$386	$11,145
The Expedition School	Public, Charter	K-8	437 Dimmocks Mill Rd Ste 33	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	The Expedition School	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 245-8432	380	29	13.1		282 (74.2%)	14 (3.7%)	37 (9.7%)	17 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	28 (7.4%)	94.5	52^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	96.5%		95.1	52^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	96.5%		78.0	97.7	81.4	90.7	97.6	97.4	90.2	90.9	86.0	90.7	97.6	94.7	90.7	100.0
River Park Elementary	Public	K-5	240 St. Mary's Road	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-9326	523	36	14.4	37.5%	309 (59.1%)	27 (5.2%)	131 (25.0%)	10 (1.9%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.6%)	76.5	296^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.2%		81	234^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.3%	62	66.3	75.0	80.9				66.3	70.0	67.0				76.6		$10,994	$454	$10,540
Grady Brown Elementary	Public	K-5	1100 New Grady Brown Rd	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 732-6138	406	31	13.2	59.6%	170 (41.9%)	46 (11.3%)	146 (36.0%)	12 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.6%)	58.3	610^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.1%		49.3	757^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.2%	147	66.7	67.7	65.7				55.6	64.5	52.9				67.1		$12,441	$1,012	$11,429
Pathways Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	431 Strouds Creek Road	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-9136	371	27	13.7	54.4%	204 (55.0%)	66 (17.8%)	57 (15.4%)	6 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (10.0%)	83.5	198^th of 1492 public elementary schools	86.7%		80.8	238^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.0%	40	80.4	82.5	75.5				67.4	65.0	71.4				89.8		$14,700	$1,138	$13,561
Efland Cheeks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 Fuller Rd	Efland	27243	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 245-4042	532	36	14.7	99.4%	175 (32.9%)	129 (24.2%)	154 (28.9%)	26 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.8%)	63.4	529^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.5%		61.9	533^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	64.2%	4	67.4	82.4	65.6				51.7	75.3	54.2				68.0		$11,292	$882	$10,410
New Hope Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1900 New Hope Church Rd	Chapel Hill	27514	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 942-9696	528	46	11.5	99.1%	142 (26.9%)	62 (11.7%)	273 (51.7%)	10 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.6%)	48.6	756^th of 1492 public elementary schools	49.3%		47.4	791^st of 1490 public elementary schools	46.9%	35	68.6	70.2	65.3				43.0	46.8	50.7				66.7		$13,203	$1,160	$12,043
Carolina Achieve	Public, Charter	K-2	6920 West Ten Rd	Mebane	27302	Alamance County	Carolina Achieve	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(919) 964-2158	0																		(n/a)
Morris Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	215 Eubanks Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 918-4800	383	32	12.1	22.5%	211 (55.1%)	30 (7.8%)	54 (14.1%)	56 (14.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.8%)	91.2	97^th of 1492 public elementary schools	93.5%		93.5	67^th of 1490 public elementary schools	95.5%	30	81.4	85.9	83.3				77.1	79.7	83.3				86.4		$12,863	$298	$12,565

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary

Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 1038^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 40% White, 28% African American, 24% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Central Elementary in?

Orange County Schools

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 261 students attended Central Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Gravelly Hill Middle
High : Orange High

Rate Central Elementary!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 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.