Is Central Elementary a good school?

Yes! Central Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 20 th of 5862 California elementary schools.

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 436 students attended Central Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 40% Asian, 29% White, 24% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Ralston Intermediate High : Carlmont High

Central Elementary

Summary:

Central Elementary is a public elementary school located in Belmont, California, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 437 students. The school is part of the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District, which is ranked 99 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Elementary consistently ranks among the top 20-33 elementary schools in California, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's students demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, with 88.43% proficient or better in Smarter Balanced Assessments/English Language Arts/Literacy, 92.52% proficient or better in mathematics, and 81.94% proficient or better in science. Central Elementary also excels in the performance of various student subgroups, ranking in the top 50 schools in California for female, Asian, White, and multi-racial students. Additionally, the school maintains a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate and has a low percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, indicating a relatively affluent student population.

When compared to nearby schools, Central Elementary's academic performance is significantly higher than the Cipriani Elementary and Nesbit Elementary schools, which are also part of the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District. Central Elementary's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are 10-15 percentage points higher than Cipriani Elementary and 20-40 percentage points higher than Nesbit Elementary. The school's performance is also consistently superior to schools in the neighboring San Mateo-Foster City and San Carlos Elementary districts.

Detail:

Public K-5

525 Middle Rd.
Belmont, CA 94002-2130

(650) 637-4820

District: Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
20^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,089

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Ralston Intermediate
High:	Carlmont High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.6

Number of students: 436

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

39.9%

White:

29.1%

Two or more races:

23.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 6.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central Elementary ranks better than 99.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks first among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 98.95. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Student population at Central Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (39.9%), White (29.1%), two or more races (23.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 6.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 25.6. 3 elementary schools in the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Central Elementary employs 17 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Elementary is $11,089, which is the lowest among 6 elementary schools in the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Central Elementary 20^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Central Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

White students:

Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary 99^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Central Elementary.

What do you think?

Your rating for Central Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Central Elementary

Compare

Rank History for all students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	90.15	504^th	4809	89.5%
2005	90.99	437^th	4822	90.9%
2006	92.67	353^rd	4818	92.7%
2007	94.11	280^th	5113	94.5%
2008	92.01	369^th	5113	92.8%
2009	94.04	229^th	5193	95.6%
2010	92.56	294^th	5314	94.5%
2011	92.72	267^th	5377	95.0%
2012	89.99	422^nd	5390	92.2%
2013	90.96	405^th	5530	92.7%
2015	96.57	218^th	5611	96.1%
2016	97.45	111^th	5614	98.0%
2017	97.64	123^rd	5692	97.8%
2018	97.69	92^nd	5662	98.4%
2019	97.42	118^th	5789	98.0%
2021	99.05	7^th	1417	99.5%
2022	98.92	25^th	5883	99.6%
2023	98.83	33^rd	5874	99.4%
2024	98.95	20^th	5862	99.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	79.46	54^th	339	84.1%
2019	82.76	44^th	445	90.1%
2022	85.07	45^th	610	92.6%
2023	88.44	27^th	669	96.0%
2024	86.40	51^st	669	92.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Female students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	97.58	55^th	5413	99.0%
2019	96.77	103^rd	5492	98.1%
2021	98.05	18^th	1267	98.6%
2022	97.34	113^th	5635	98.0%
2023	97.68	80^th	5617	98.6%
2024	98.87	9^th	5605	99.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	97.06	113^th	5431	97.9%
2019	96.87	132^nd	5510	97.6%
2021	99.17	5^th	1272	99.6%
2022	99.24	9^th	5663	99.8%
2023	98.88	17^th	5650	99.7%
2024	98.32	42^nd	5636	99.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	76.10	236^th	1071	78.0%
2019	71.85	330^th	1149	71.3%
2022	85.55	44^th	1154	96.2%
2023	83.73	63^rd	1190	94.7%
2024	87.15	29^th	1203	97.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for White students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	92.59	42^nd	2737	98.5%
2019	89.02	126^th	2834	95.6%
2022	92.60	41^st	2726	98.5%
2023	90.90	75^th	2662	97.2%
2024	91.97	47^th	2647	98.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California 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.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, October 1, 2016

Central Elementary is a very well-run school with a vibrant family community and a good diversity of students. The teachers are very strong although there has been movement in the ranks lately, but this has been mitigated by overall strength of school leadership. The school benefits from strong school support groups (PTA & Schoolforce) who rally the student body parental corp to supplement any funding shortfalls and ensure that the students receive a well-rounded education. The extra-curricular programming does seem more oriented towards the arts, but there is demand to build out early-STEM programming as well. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Central Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	311	2	33	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	365
1989	303	1	35	35	1	n/a	n/a	0	375
1990	288	5	40	36	0	n/a	n/a	0	369
1991	324	7	48	26	3	n/a	n/a	0	408
1992	316	9	55	35	5	n/a	n/a	0	420
1993	304	7	51	24	3	n/a	n/a	0	389
1994	323	4	45	23	3	n/a	n/a	0	398
1995	310	9	42	25	4	n/a	n/a	0	390
1996	310	9	42	25	4	n/a	n/a	0	390
1997	322	14	52	26	1	n/a	n/a	0	415
1998	279	15	55	37	4	n/a	n/a	0	390
1999	274	16	61	38	3	n/a	n/a	0	392
2000	259	12	56	33	2	n/a	n/a	0	362
2001	247	7	56	37	1	n/a	n/a	0	348
2002	219	7	61	24	1	n/a	n/a	0	312
2003	219	7	61	24	1	n/a	n/a	0	312
2004	205	4	66	22	1	n/a	n/a	2	300
2005	190	8	57	24	0	n/a	n/a	5	284
2006	186	8	72	31	0	n/a	n/a	7	304
2007	182	6	76	38	2	n/a	n/a	25	329
2008	207	5	72	34	2	n/a	n/a	0	320
2009	234	5	82	30	2	1	25	0	379
2010	287	5	86	60	0	5	50	0	493
2011	234	4	77	59	0	4	60	0	438
2012	238	2	75	57	0	2	69	0	443
2013	228	1	95	58	0	2	73	0	457
2014	234	2	103	50	0	4	85	0	478
2015	218	2	119	52	0	2	70	0	463
2016	211	3	118	42	0	1	74	0	449
2017	217	4	99	48	0	2	78	0	448
2018	201	3	115	43	1	2	82	0	447
2019	181	2	120	38	2	3	94	0	440
2020	168	2	132	38	1	2	101	0	444
2021	151	2	144	34	0	2	107	0	440
2022	132	2	153	39	0	1	109	0	436
2023	123	1	168	33	0	1	111	0	437
2024	127	1	174	30	0	1	103	0	436

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 Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	365	16.0	22.8	n/a
1989	375	15.0	25.0	n/a
1990	369	15.0	24.6	n/a
1991	408	17.0	24.0	n/a
1992	420	17.3	24.2	2.6
1993	389	17.0	22.9	2.1
1994	398	17.0	23.4	2
1995	390	17.0	22.9	3.3
1996	390	17.0	22.9	3.3
1997	415	20.0	20.8	2.2
1998	390	19.0	20.5	2.3
1999	392	21.5	18.2	1.8
2000	362	21.0	17.2	3
2001	348	19.0	18.3	0.9
2002	312	17.4	17.9	0.6
2003	312	17.4	17.9	0.6
2004	300	14.0	21.4	0
2005	284	14.7	19.3	0.4
2006	304	18.0	16.9	5.1
2007	329	20.0	16.5	5.3
2008	320	19.5	16.4	3.1
2009	379	20.4	16.9	4
2010	493	21.6	22.8	3.4
2011	438	n/a	n/a	2.7
2012	443	20.3	21.7	n/a
2013	457	20.4	22.3	3.5
2014	478	18.0	26.5	5.2
2015	463	18.0	25.7	3.7
2016	449	17.0	26.4	4.2
2017	448	16.0	28.0	3.1
2018	447	17.0	26.2	3.8
2019	440	17.0	25.8	3.6
2020	444	n/a	n/a	4.7
2021	440	17.0	25.8	3
2022	436	17.1	25.4	3.7
2023	437	17.0	25.7	3.9
2024	436	17.0	25.6	6.9

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 Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	365	16.0	22.8	n/a
1989	375	15.0	25.0	n/a
1990	369	15.0	24.6	n/a
1991	408	17.0	24.0	n/a
1992	420	17.3	24.2	2.6
1993	389	17.0	22.9	2.1
1994	398	17.0	23.4	2
1995	390	17.0	22.9	3.3
1996	390	17.0	22.9	3.3
1997	415	20.0	20.8	2.2
1998	390	19.0	20.5	2.3
1999	392	21.5	18.2	1.8
2000	362	21.0	17.2	3
2001	348	19.0	18.3	0.9
2002	312	17.4	17.9	0.6
2003	312	17.4	17.9	0.6
2004	300	14.0	21.4	0
2005	284	14.7	19.3	0.4
2006	304	18.0	16.9	5.1
2007	329	20.0	16.5	5.3
2008	320	19.5	16.4	3.1
2009	379	20.4	16.9	4
2010	493	21.6	22.8	3.4
2011	438	n/a	n/a	2.7
2012	443	20.3	21.7	n/a
2013	457	20.4	22.3	3.5
2014	478	18.0	26.5	5.2
2015	463	18.0	25.7	3.7
2016	449	17.0	26.4	4.2
2017	448	16.0	28.0	3.1
2018	447	17.0	26.2	3.8
2019	440	17.0	25.8	3.6
2020	444	n/a	n/a	4.7
2021	440	17.0	25.8	3
2022	436	17.1	25.4	3.7
2023	437	17.0	25.7	3.9
2024	436	17.0	25.6	6.9

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates