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Central Elementary School

Q: Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 265 th of 355 West Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

265^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 355 West Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 25% of West Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary School in Saint Albans, WV, serves 304 students from Pre-K through 5th grade within the Kanawha County Schools district. This mid-sized school has seen significant swings in performance over the past decade, with its state ranking fluctuating between the 24th and 81st percentiles. In the most recent school year, Central Elementary ranked in the 25th percentile statewide, a notable drop from the previous year's 52nd percentile ranking.

Academically, Central Elementary shows a distinct pattern: 3rd graders perform well, with math proficiency at 61.1% (above the state's 54.4%) and ELA at 52.8% (above the state's 44.6%). However, this strength fades by 4th and 5th grade. Math proficiency drops to 28.9% in 4th grade and 37% in 5th grade, while 5th-grade ELA falls to 34.8%—well below state averages. The most concerning metric is 5th-grade science, where only 10.9% of students are proficient, compared to the state average of 34.6%. This represents a dramatic decline from the prior year's 43.6% proficiency rate. Nearby schools like Nitro Elementary (62.7% math, 64.4% ELA) and Andrews Heights Elementary (61.1% math, 60.0% ELA) consistently outperform Central Elementary across all subjects and grade levels.

Another unique challenge is a significant gender gap: male students rank in the 53rd percentile statewide, while female students rank in the 2nd percentile—the largest such disparity among nearby schools. Support for special education students has also declined, dropping from the 79th to the 34th percentile over two years. While the school spends a comparable amount per student ($11,534) to higher-performing neighbors, the outcomes don't align with that investment. For parents considering this school, the strong early-grade instruction is a positive, but the upper-grade declines, particularly in science, and the gender-based achievement gap are important factors to investigate further.

304

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,186

Per pupil spending ?

57.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

900 Helene St
Saint Albans, WV 25177-2941

(304) 722-0226

District: Kanawha County Schools

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hayes Middle School
High:	Saint Albans High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.9%

Two or more races:

9.2%

African American:

8.2%

See top rated West Virginia elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 31st percentile in 2016 → 25th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the West Virginia average (37% vs 44% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg45%

West Virginia avg44%

265^th of 355

West Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to bottom 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of West Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

31^st of 38Elementary Schools in the Kanawha County Schools

23^rd of 55Kanawha County Schools among West Virginia 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	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	32.9	265 of 355	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	50.3	170 of 355	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.0	199 of 368	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.1	278 of 368	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	51.7	160 of 375	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.4	272 of 380	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	54.1	161 of 383	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.4	76 of 392	80.6%	★★★★☆
2017	50.4	203 of 399	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	37.9	276 of 402	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	55.2	165 of 408	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	48.5	214 of 422	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	62.1	125 of 428	70.8%	★★★★☆
2012	45.5	232 of 426	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.4	178 of 426	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	49.3	214 of 427	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.4	128 of 420	69.5%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	33.2	137 of 187	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	11.8	293 of 300	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	49.2	151 of 302	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	35.7	228 of 316	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.7	207 of 317	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	60.4	104 of 325	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.7	188 of 322	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.2	144 of 339	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.0	144 of 366	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	44.5	226 of 381	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	211 of 315	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	54.5	131 of 328	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.4	127 of 336	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.3	246 of 333	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	60.6	99 of 347	71.5%	★★★★☆
2021	45.0	189 of 335	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	79.4	36 of 368	90.2%	★★★★★
2017	56.1	151 of 382	60.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	144 of 303	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.9	130 of 305	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.0	113 of 325	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	28.5	265 of 322	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.1	204 of 330	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.4	296 of 333	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	52.3	144 of 338	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	82.2	37 of 364	89.8%	★★★★★
2017	54.9	167 of 382	56.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	35.9	164 of 218	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	39.5	111 of 165	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.4	105 of 171	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.6	39 of 183	78.7%	★★★★☆
2023	48.6	98 of 180	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.7	69 of 185	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.7	42 of 258	83.7%	★★★★☆
2017	52.8	127 of 377	66.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	40.5	219 of 353	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.3	145 of 353	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.8	185 of 367	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.3	284 of 366	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	55.6	143 of 373	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.3	279 of 376	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	52.4	166 of 373	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.3	82 of 374	78.1%	★★★★☆
2017	53.6	168 of 382	56.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

Male (2026)52nd percentile+27 vs school

White (2026)38th percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)33rd percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2026)33rd percentile+7 vs school

African American (2017)27th percentile-22 vs school

Multi-racial (2017)25th percentile-24 vs school

Female (2026)2nd percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs West Virginia (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts43%-4 vs state

Mathematics40%~ state avg

Science11%-24 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				WV Assessment Mathematics (2026)				WV Assessment English Language Arts (2026)				WV Assessment Science (2026)	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 (2021)	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	WV Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics All Grades	WV Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts All Grades	WV Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 Helene St	Saint Albans	25177	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 722-0226	304	20	15.5	57.5%	249 (81.9%)	25 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.2%)	32.9	265^th of 355 public elementary schools	25.4%		50.3	170^th of 355 public elementary schools	52.1%	95	61.1	28.9	37.0	40.3	52.8	44.2	34.8	43.3	10.9	$8,186	$319	$7,868
Lakewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2089 Lakewood Dr	Saint Albans	25177	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 722-0200	294	19	15.8	39.8%	263 (89.5%)	13 (4.4%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (4.4%)	49.7	175^th of 355 public elementary schools	50.7%		32.2	259^th of 355 public elementary schools	27.0%	84	59.1	60.0	47.9	55.3	38.6	45.0	54.2	46.2	27.1	$8,270	$638	$7,632
Alban Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2030 Harrison Ave	Saint Albans	25177	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 722-0234	376	27	13.9	57.4%	294 (78.2%)	29 (7.7%)	6 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	43 (11.4%)	44.9	198^th of 355 public elementary schools	44.2%		23.7	307^th of 355 public elementary schools	13.5%	109	65.1	41.9	31.3	45.5	53.5	44.2	45.8	47.8	33.3	$8,913	$1,841	$7,072
Anne Bailey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	405 Winfield Rd	Saint Albans	25177	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 722-0230	221	23	9.8	79.7%	185 (83.7%)	13 (5.9%)	6 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.7%)	50.3	174^th of 355 public elementary schools	51.0%		40.5	222^nd of 355 public elementary schools	37.5%	48	55.6	54.6	48.2	52.2	27.8	54.6	59.3	49.3	29.6	$12,079	$2,318	$9,762
Nitro Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1921 19th St	Nitro	25143	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 755-2451	377	27	13.9	61.1%	308 (81.7%)	18 (4.8%)	3 (0.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (11.9%)	78.6	52^nd of 355 public elementary schools	85.4%		51.4	167^th of 355 public elementary schools	53.0%	115	66.0	58.0	64.9	62.7	63.8	54.9	78.4	64.4	41.7	$9,132	$1,887	$7,245
Andrews Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7776 Coal River Rd	Tornado	25202	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 722-0232	233	19	12.2	55.4%	215 (92.3%)	4 (1.7%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.3%)	71.7	76^th of 355 public elementary schools	78.6%		70	82^nd of 355 public elementary schools	76.9%	6	67.9	58.3	58.1	61.1	67.9	58.3	54.8	60.0	35.5	$10,569	$1,990	$8,579
Cross Lanes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5525 Big Tyler Rd	Charleston	25313	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 776-2022	294	22	13.3	51.9%	217 (73.8%)	27 (9.2%)	9 (3.1%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	32 (10.9%)	66.4	91^st of 355 public elementary schools	74.4%		65.2	102^nd of 355 public elementary schools	71.3%	11	60.4	70.3	61.9	63.8	52.1	54.1	54.8	53.5	31.0	$8,827	$677	$8,151
Dunbar Primary Center	Public	PK, KG-2	2401 Myers Ave	Dunbar	25064	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 766-0367	271	24	11.2	76.0%	149 (55.0%)	60 (22.1%)	8 (3.0%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	50 (18.5%)								(n/a)										$11,570	$2,636	$8,934
Rock Branch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4616 1st Ave	Nitro	25143	Kanawha County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 755-1443	187	17	10.8	56.5%	167 (89.3%)	10 (5.3%)	7 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	93.7	9^th of 355 public elementary schools	97.5%		79.5	50^th of 355 public elementary schools	85.9%	41	79.3	80.7	79.4	79.8	69.0	77.4	67.7	71.3	52.9	$14,498	$2,813	$11,685
Point Harmony Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5312 Big Tyler Rd	Cross Lanes	25313	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 776-3482	440	28	15.7	52.2%	362 (82.3%)	24 (5.5%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	47 (10.7%)	35.4	252^nd of 355 public elementary schools	29.0%		33.7	254^th of 355 public elementary schools	28.5%	2	42.9	50.0	45.1	45.9	31.4	43.9	46.5	40.6	28.6	$8,158	$471	$7,686

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary School

What district is Central Elementary School in?

Kanawha County Schools

How many students attend Central Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 304 students attended Central Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Hayes Middle School
High : Saint Albans High School

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary School?

Students at Central Elementary School are 82% White, 9% Two or more races, 8% African American.

Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks 265^th of 355 West Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Central Elementary School!

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Latest West Virginia data All new data »

2019–20 through 2024–25 school spending dataAug 24, 2026

2025–26 WV Assessment scoresAug 12, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 9, 2026

2024–25 WV Assessment scoresAug 13, 2025

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