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Central Elementary School

Q: Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 126 th of 294 Nebraska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 4-5

126^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 294 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of Nebraska elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary School is a public elementary school located in McCook, Nebraska, serving grades 4-5 with a total enrollment of 188 students. The school is part of the McCook Public Schools district, which is ranked 43 out of 115 districts in Nebraska and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Elementary School consistently performs above the state average in NSCAS (Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System) test scores for both English Language Arts and Mathematics across grades 4 and 5. In the 2024-2025 school year, 70.83% of 4th-grade students and 56.98% of 5th-grade students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 59.59% and 55.79%, respectively. In the same year, 76.04% of 4th-grade students and 69.77% of 5th-grade students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 60.65% and 58.74%. The school's performance in NSCAS Science for 5th grade is also noteworthy, with 93.33% of students being proficient or better in 2023-2024, significantly higher than the state average of 82.59%. Central Elementary School has shown strong performance in serving specific student groups, particularly low-socioeconomic status (SES) students and students with special education needs.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Southwest Elementary-Indianola and Hitchcock County Elementary, Central Elementary School's performance is generally on par or slightly better in terms of test scores and statewide rankings. However, the school has experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 14.2% to 22.8% over the past few years, which is higher than the state average. Central Elementary School's strong academic performance may be attributed to its relatively high per-student spending of around $15,000 and a low student-teacher ratio ranging from 13.1 to 13.6 over the past few years.

181

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,173

Per pupil spending ?

37%

Free/discounted lunch ?

604 W 1st
Mc Cook, NE 69001-3137

(308) 345-3976

District: Mc Cook Public Schools

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Mc Cook Junior High School
High:	Mc Cook Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.2%

Hispanic:

10.5%

Two or more races:

2.2%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 69th percentile in 2015 → 57th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Nebraska average (69% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Above the Nebraska median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school69%

District avg71%

Nebraska avg58%

126^th of 294

Nebraska public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From top 31% (2015) to top 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Nebraska Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

45^th of 118Mc Cook Public Schools among Nebraska 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	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	58.4	126 of 294	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.3	103 of 428	75.9%	★★★★☆
2023	69.3	138 of 459	69.9%	★★★★☆
2022	72.8	98 of 457	78.6%	★★★★☆
2021	65.2	127 of 442	71.3%	★★★★☆
2019	72.5	103 of 452	77.2%	★★★★☆
2018	59.8	170 of 450	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.5	168 of 459	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	69.3	124 of 480	74.2%	★★★★☆
2015	65.4	152 of 488	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	66.3	136 of 483	71.8%	★★★★☆
2013	58.3	197 of 485	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	62.0	169 of 480	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	55.9	211 of 473	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.8	222 of 502	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	48.8	314 of 471	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	55.3	270 of 478	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	45.5	283 of 430	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	14.3	386 of 418	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	49.2	52 of 90	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	76.5	35 of 203	82.8%	★★★★☆
2023	75.2	78 of 349	77.7%	★★★★☆
2022	67.2	99 of 337	70.6%	★★★★☆
2021	56.8	125 of 318	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.9	67 of 349	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	59.9	130 of 341	61.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	63.6	4 of 17	76.5%	★★★★☆
2024	75.7	19 of 112	83.0%	★★★★☆
2023	80.0	34 of 312	89.1%	★★★★☆
2022	86.2	14 of 259	94.6%	★★★★★
2021	80.0	26 of 264	90.2%	★★★★★
2019	83.0	23 of 298	92.3%	★★★★★
2018	57.6	113 of 281	59.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	48.5	57 of 90	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.2	88 of 203	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.5	128 of 366	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.8	73 of 356	79.5%	★★★★☆
2021	62.8	105 of 328	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.3	98 of 367	73.3%	★★★★☆
2018	56.0	143 of 347	58.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	45.3	36 of 57	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	85.4	4 of 31	87.1%	★★★★★
2019	60.3	14 of 43	67.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	49.5	110 of 193	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	63.6	90 of 261	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.3	154 of 385	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.2	115 of 388	70.4%	★★★★☆
2021	54.4	147 of 368	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.8	117 of 391	70.1%	★★★★☆
2018	51.8	175 of 391	55.2%	★★★☆☆

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)76th percentile+19 vs school

White (2025)43rd percentile-14 vs school

Female (2025)42nd percentile-15 vs school

Special Education (2023)37th percentile-33 vs school

Male (2025)37th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics73%+15 vs state

English Language Arts64%+6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central Elementary School

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NSCAS English Language Arts (2025)				NSCAS Mathematics (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 (2025)	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	NSCAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts All Grades	NSCAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 4th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 5th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary School	Public	4-5	604 W 1st	Mc Cook	69001	Red Willow County	Mc Cook Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 345-3976	181	14	12.8	37.0%	156 (86.2%)	1 (0.6%)	19 (10.5%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)	58.4	126^th of 294 public elementary schools	57.1%		73.3	103^rd of 428 public elementary schools	75.9%	23		70.8	57.0	64.3		76.0	69.8	73.1	$16,173	$525	$14,254
Mc Cook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	1500 W 3rd St	Mc Cook	69001	Red Willow County	Mc Cook Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 345-5681	411	29	14.0	43.8%	363 (88.3%)	2 (0.5%)	37 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)								(n/a)	77.1			77.1	80.2			80.2	$17,325	$1,187	$14,659
Southwest Elementary-Indianola	Public	PK, KG-5	719 E St	Indianola	69034	Red Willow County	Southwest Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 364-2613	172	18	9.4	43.6%	145 (84.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (13.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)								(n/a)			61.9	59.3					$23,317	$1,406	$19,273
Hitchcock County Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	712 Arizona	Culbertson	69024	Hitchcock County	Hitchcock County School System	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 278-2131	161	13	12.3	41.6%	150 (93.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.1%)	56.9	132^nd of 294 public elementary schools	55.1%		65.7	147^th of 428 public elementary schools	65.7%	15	57.1	76.9		69.6		69.2		74.7	$21,006	$854	$16,194

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary School

How many students attend Central Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 181 students attended Central Elementary School.

Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 126^th of 294 Nebraska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Central Elementary School in?

Mc Cook Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mc Cook Junior High School
High : Mc Cook Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary School?

Students at Central Elementary School are 86% White, 10% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

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Schools in Mc Cook, NE

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Latest Nebraska data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataNov 29, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 29, 2025

2024–25 ACT test scoresNov 29, 2025

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