Central School

Summary:

Central School is an elementary school located in Huntsville, Alabama, serving grades PK-8 with a student population of 657. The school is part of the Madison County school district, which is ranked 32 out of 137 districts in Alabama and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central School consistently ranks in the top 25% of Alabama elementary schools, with a ranking as high as 62 out of 681 schools in 2018-2019. The school's performance on state assessments is generally higher than the Madison County and Alabama averages across various grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, Central School had 57.38% of 3rd graders proficient or better in Math, compared to 52.15% for Madison County and 42.16% for Alabama. Central School also outperforms the district and state in English Language Arts, with 72.13% of 3rd graders proficient or better in 2023-2024, compared to 71.77% for Madison County and 62.8% for Alabama.

Central School has a more diverse student population compared to the surrounding schools, with a higher percentage of African American, Hispanic, and Native American students. In 2022-2023, the school's student population was 69.41% White, 11.42% African American, 6.85% Hispanic, and 5.02% Native American. Additionally, Central School has seen an increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 21.52% in 2020-2021 to 36.68% in 2022-2023, suggesting a growing population of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 16.9 to 18 students per teacher over the past three school years, which is lower than the nearby Madison County Elementary School.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

 990 Ryland Pike
       Huntsville, AL  35811


(256) 851-4670

District: Madison County

SchoolDigger Rank:
230th of 684 Alabama Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,274 Help


Students who attend Central School usually attend:

High:    Madison County High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.4 Help
Number of students:  637

Racial breakdown:

White:
69.5%
African American:
11.3%
Two or more races:
6.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  40.2% Help


 See top rated Alabama elementary schools

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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Central School ranks better than 66.4% of elementary schools in Alabama. It also ranks 9th among 13 ranked elementary schools in the Madison County School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.99. (See more...)
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Compare Details Central School ranks better than 90.3% of middle schools in Alabama. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 86.94. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (69.5%), African American (11.3%), two or more races (6.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 40.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central School is 16.4, which is the 5th best among 13 elementary schools in the Madison County School District. (See more...)
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Compare Central School employs 38.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central School is $8,274. 14 elementary schools in the Madison County School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central School:

SchoolDigger ranks Central School 230th of 684 Alabama public elementary schools. (See Central School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Central School 43rd of 442 Alabama public middle schools. (See Central School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Madison County:

SchoolDigger ranks Madison County 32nd of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Central School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 76.96 107th 623 82.8%
2005 80.41 86th 688 87.5%
2006 73.80 124th 689 82.0%
2007 72.00 169th 698 75.8%
2008 61.82 259th 698 62.9%
2009 58.68 305th 696 56.2%
2010 66.34 232nd 704 67.0%
2011 76.39 111th 709 84.3%
2012 82.46 44th 696 93.7%
2013 77.29 76th 696 89.1%
2014 80.75 92nd 695 86.8%
2015 76.42 132nd 691 80.9%
2016 79.13 121st 691 82.5%
2017 79.19 126th 688 81.7%
2018 86.26 77th 680 88.7%
2019 88.46 62nd 681 90.9%
2021 79.20 110th 692 84.1%
2022 74.87 150th 687 78.2%
2023 76.07 139th 680 79.6%
2024 63.99 230th 684 66.4%
See the entire list of Alabama Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.95 270th 344 21.5%
2022 74.88 45th 345 87.0%
2023 49.80 155th 373 58.4%
2024 57.14 134th 395 66.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 63.38 173rd 567 69.5%
2018 80.81 78th 651 88.0%
2019 86.55 39th 649 94.0%
2021 63.73 204th 653 68.8%
2022 50.58 330th 651 49.3%
2023 62.90 213th 623 65.8%
2024 49.63 347th 670 48.2%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 75.45 126th 639 80.3%
2018 81.66 96th 640 85.0%
2019 87.12 54th 646 91.6%
2021 82.07 87th 656 86.7%
2022 79.18 109th 656 83.4%
2023 77.96 118th 645 81.7%
2024 67.69 189th 650 70.9%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 79.47 106th 639 83.4%
2018 86.32 69th 650 89.4%
2019 87.29 61st 650 90.6%
2021 74.47 127th 669 81.0%
2022 68.89 185th 669 72.3%
2023 71.43 164th 649 74.7%
2024 57.30 283rd 655 56.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.38 33rd 423 92.2%
2022 78.13 51st 426 88.0%
2023 70.28 80th 427 81.3%
2024 49.93 183rd 420 56.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school Native American students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 91.37 4th 58 93.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 61.56 127th 369 65.6%
2018 67.70 143rd 508 71.9%
2019 83.03 68th 529 87.1%
2021 74.41 108th 539 80.0%
2022 65.67 154th 540 71.5%
2023 65.42 156th 528 70.5%
2024 53.47 242nd 535 54.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Central School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 89.17 18th 407 95.6%
2005 91.20 17th 415 95.9%
2006 87.99 26th 409 93.6%
2007 83.07 40th 412 90.3%
2008 87.47 22nd 417 94.7%
2009 89.53 22nd 425 94.8%
2010 82.51 48th 435 89.0%
2011 84.32 31st 435 92.9%
2012 86.65 22nd 436 95.0%
2013 85.61 16th 436 96.3%
2014 92.37 22nd 438 95.0%
2015 88.19 41st 430 90.5%
2016 80.58 57th 432 86.8%
2017 85.01 45th 432 89.6%
2018 86.54 41st 423 90.3%
2019 84.09 50th 437 88.6%
2021 91.53 26th 440 94.1%
2022 86.96 41st 432 90.5%
2023 87.57 39th 437 91.1%
2024 86.94 43rd 442 90.3%
See the entire list of Alabama Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 39.20 112th 195 42.6%
2021 75.06 26th 274 90.5%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 64.58 84th 349 75.9%
2018 83.15 31st 396 92.2%
2019 85.60 19th 396 95.2%
2021 63.56 120th 415 71.1%
2022 72.39 63rd 421 85.0%
2023 50.33 187th 410 54.4%
2024 81.66 51st 437 88.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 85.50 34th 380 91.1%
2018 87.00 34th 392 91.3%
2019 86.29 35th 399 91.2%
2021 92.75 16th 415 96.1%
2022 83.19 46th 423 89.1%
2023 91.39 30th 417 92.8%
2024 86.12 41st 426 90.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 80.77 51st 380 86.6%
2018 82.52 48th 397 87.9%
2019 76.04 64th 399 84.0%
2021 86.79 31st 418 92.6%
2022 86.97 38th 427 91.1%
2023 80.64 55th 419 86.9%
2024 83.51 52nd 428 87.9%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 98.21 9th 252 96.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Native American students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.13 6th 14 57.1%
2019 86.21 3rd 44 93.2%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Central School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 70.60 50th 247 79.8%
2018 73.97 62nd 331 81.3%
2019 71.90 66th 343 80.8%
2021 87.12 29th 369 92.1%
2022 81.97 44th 376 88.3%
2023 84.19 42nd 370 88.6%
2024 80.28 57th 373 84.7%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Central School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 








Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Saturday, February 5, 2011

Open Quote One of the best kept secrets in Huntsville. School is older than others in the area, but the staff and parental involvement make it a fantastic place for the children to learn! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Central School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 508 508
1989 461 55 1 1 19 n/a n/a 0 537
1990 479 61 2 0 26 n/a n/a 0 568
1991 471 51 2 0 29 n/a n/a 0 553
1992 490 50 2 1 30 n/a n/a 0 573
1993 532 50 0 1 26 n/a n/a 0 609
1994 558 54 3 0 26 n/a n/a 0 641
1995 591 46 6 7 23 n/a n/a 0 673
1996 591 46 6 7 23 n/a n/a 0 673
1997 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 676 676
1998 587 39 0 5 27 n/a n/a 0 658
1999 610 41 0 8 24 n/a n/a 0 683
2000 648 44 0 10 22 n/a n/a 0 724
2001 681 49 0 9 18 n/a n/a 0 757
2002 672 44 3 12 31 n/a n/a 0 762
2003 672 44 3 12 31 n/a n/a 0 762
2004 665 44 4 6 31 n/a n/a 5 755
2005 669 53 9 5 28 n/a n/a 0 764
2006 623 67 7 5 28 n/a n/a 4 734
2007 622 69 6 6 51 n/a n/a 3 757
2008 597 65 6 9 53 n/a n/a 0 730
2009 561 70 8 10 55 n/a n/a 0 704
2010 572 65 8 10 72 n/a n/a 8 735
2011 593 60 9 14 67 0 2 0 745
2012 572 68 7 27 67 0 6 0 747
2013 572 66 3 30 75 0 5 0 751
2014 588 69 4 30 83 0 9 0 783
2015 575 69 4 24 78 0 14 0 764
2016 536 65 4 17 68 0 12 0 702
2017 540 75 3 19 76 0 19 0 732
2018 538 77 4 25 78 1 22 0 745
2019 541 97 6 22 78 2 18 0 764
2020 505 92 7 19 63 1 41 0 728
2021 450 87 6 28 54 1 43 0 669
2022 443 81 3 32 45 2 51 0 657
2023 456 75 1 45 33 1 46 0 657
2024 443 72 0 40 39 1 42 0 637

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Central School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 508 19.4 26.1 0
1989 537 24.0 22.3 n/a
1990 568 26.5 21.4 0
1991 553 26.0 21.2 n/a
1992 573 24.0 23.8 n/a
1993 609 28.0 21.8 n/a
1994 641 33.0 19.4 n/a
1995 673 34.0 19.8 n/a
1996 673 34.0 19.8 n/a
1997 676 35.5 19.0 14.9
1998 658 36.8 17.9 13.8
1999 683 40.5 16.9 20.1
2000 724 42.0 17.2 21.3
2001 757 44.0 17.2 19.8
2002 762 44.7 17.0 24.5
2003 762 44.7 17.0 24.5
2004 755 44.9 16.8 25.2
2005 764 49.0 15.6 25.3
2006 734 43.0 17.0 27.1
2007 757 43.0 17.6 29.4
2008 730 46.3 15.8 28.6
2009 704 42.8 16.3 27.7
2010 735 43.5 16.8 29.4
2011 745 46.3 16.0 34.2
2012 747 50.8 14.6 32.1
2013 751 57.1 13.1 36
2014 783 46.9 16.6 36.5
2015 764 43.0 17.7 31.3
2016 702 42.0 16.7 30.5
2017 732 37.6 19.4 29
2018 745 35.2 21.1 29.3
2019 764 39.2 19.4 32.5
2020 728 40.3 18.0 28.2
2021 669 37.0 18.0 21.5
2022 657 37.0 17.7 20.2
2023 657 38.8 16.9 36.7
2024 637 38.8 16.4 40.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Central School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 508 19.4 26.1 0
1989 537 24.0 22.3 n/a
1990 568 26.5 21.4 0
1991 553 26.0 21.2 n/a
1992 573 24.0 23.8 n/a
1993 609 28.0 21.8 n/a
1994 641 33.0 19.4 n/a
1995 673 34.0 19.8 n/a
1996 673 34.0 19.8 n/a
1997 676 35.5 19.0 14.9
1998 658 36.8 17.9 13.8
1999 683 40.5 16.9 20.1
2000 724 42.0 17.2 21.3
2001 757 44.0 17.2 19.8
2002 762 44.7 17.0 24.5
2003 762 44.7 17.0 24.5
2004 755 44.9 16.8 25.2
2005 764 49.0 15.6 25.3
2006 734 43.0 17.0 27.1
2007 757 43.0 17.6 29.4
2008 730 46.3 15.8 28.6
2009 704 42.8 16.3 27.7
2010 735 43.5 16.8 29.4
2011 745 46.3 16.0 34.2
2012 747 50.8 14.6 32.1
2013 751 57.1 13.1 36
2014 783 46.9 16.6 36.5
2015 764 43.0 17.7 31.3
2016 702 42.0 16.7 30.5
2017 732 37.6 19.4 29
2018 745 35.2 21.1 29.3
2019 764 39.2 19.4 32.5
2020 728 40.3 18.0 28.2
2021 669 37.0 18.0 21.5
2022 657 37.0 17.7 20.2
2023 657 38.8 16.9 36.7
2024 637 38.8 16.4 40.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Central School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $640 (7.7%) $7,595 (91.8%) $8,274

Data source: Alabama Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Central School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 62nd of 681 Elementary schoolsRanks 139th of 680 Elementary schools
 11.3%
Ranks 50th of 437 Middle schoolsRanks 39th of 437 Middle schools
 2.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Central School)65.842.3
 23.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Madison County)68.451.7
 16.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Alabama)57.543.6
 13.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Central School)7550.7
 24.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Madison County)61.647.4
 14.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)47.334.9
 12.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Central School)90.544.3
 46.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Madison County)5542.6
 12.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)44.933.9
 10.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Central School)5953.5
 5.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Madison County)63.640.5
 23.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)45.330.8
 14.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Central School)57.342.3
 15.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Madison County)57.925.8
 32.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)43.121
 22.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Central School)70.536.8
 33.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Madison County)58.325.1
 33.2%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)44.721.1
 23.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students764657
 14%
African American9775
 22.7%
American Indian7833
 57.7%
Asian61
 83.3%
Hispanic2245
 104.5%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White541456
 15.7%
Two or More Races1846
 155.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients32.5%36.7%
 4.2%


Schools Near Central School









Frequently Asked Questions about Central School

Students at Central School are 70% White, 11% African American, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 6% American Indian.

Central School ranks 230th of 684 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 637 students attended Central School.

Students who attend Central School usually go on to attend:

High : Madison County High School


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





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