Central School

Q: Is Central School a good school?

Central School ranks 73 rd of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Central School is an elementary school located in South Berwick, Maine, serving grades PK-3 with a total enrollment of 372 students. The school is part of the Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35, which is ranked 35 out of 177 districts in Maine and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central School has consistently performed well on the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) exams, with a higher percentage of students proficient or better in both English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the state average. In the 2022-2023 school year, 71.23% of students were proficient or better in ELA, and 61.64% were proficient or better in Mathematics, both exceeding the state averages. The school has maintained a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 25% of Maine elementary schools in recent years, ranking 73 out of 290 in the 2022-2023 school year and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. However, the school's ranking has declined over the years, dropping from 33 out of 228 Maine elementary schools in the 2020-2021 school year.

Central School has a relatively homogeneous student population, with over 92% of students identifying as White, which is higher than the nearby Eliot Elementary School (91.53% White) and significantly higher than the more diverse Horace Mitchell Primary School (79.35% White). Additionally, Central School has experienced a notable increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 10.2% in the 2020-2021 school year to 26.4% in the 2022-2023 school year, which is significantly higher than the nearby Marshwood Great Works School (14.9%) and Eliot Elementary School (21.6%).

Detail:

Public PK, KG-3

197 Main Street
South Berwick, ME 03908

(207) 384-2333

District: Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35

SchoolDigger Rank:
73^rd of 290 Maine Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,628

Students who attend Central School usually attend:

Middle:	Marshwood Middle School
High:	Marshwood High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.5

Number of students: 387

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.7%

Two or more races:

4.1%

Hispanic:

3.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 12.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Central School ranks better than 74.8% of elementary schools in Maine. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 77.08. (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 Central School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35. Racial makeup is: White (91.7%), two or more races (4.1%), Hispanic (3.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 12.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central School is 13.5, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35! (See more...)

Compare Central School employs 28.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central School is $16,628, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Central School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35:

SchoolDigger ranks Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35 35^th of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Central School

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Rank History for all students at Central School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile
2015	68.83	98^th	284	65.5%
2019	45.50	144^th	258	44.2%
2021	76.35	33^rd	228	85.5%
2022	71.55	53^rd	210	74.8%
2023	77.08	73^rd	290	74.8%

See the entire list of Maine Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Central School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	38.50	106^th	153	30.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Central School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	40.19	99^th	153	35.3%

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

Data source: test scores: Maine 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: Maine Department of Education

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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
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	709	709
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	728	728
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	749	749
1994	735	1	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	740
1995	722	6	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	728
1996	722	6	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	728
1997	725	5	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	731
1998	719	2	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	723
1999	724	4	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	729
2000	490	2	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	494
2001	509	2	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	513
2002	502	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	502
2003	502	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	502
2004	482	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	485
2005	473	1	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	477
2006	474	2	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	479
2007	448	1	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	453
2008	452	2	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	458
2009	463	4	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	474
2010	441	5	7	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	453
2011	444	4	9	3	0	0	0	0	460
2012	429	6	10	5	0	0	2	0	452
2013	405	8	10	5	1	0	3	0	432
2014	397	6	7	10	1	0	1	0	422
2015	363	4	7	11	2	0	3	0	390
2016	366	5	4	8	2	0	4	0	389
2017	364	1	6	8	0	0	9	0	388
2018	328	1	3	9	0	0	8	0	349
2019	350	3	1	12	0	0	7	0	373
2020	370	2	0	14	0	0	8	0	394
2021	336	1	1	16	0	0	8	0	362
2022	343	1	1	13	0	0	12	0	370
2023	343	1	1	14	0	0	13	0	372
2024	355	0	1	15	0	0	16	0	387

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
1991	709	39.0	18.1	n/a
1992	728	36.0	20.2	n/a
1993	749	38.0	19.7	12.6
1994	740	36.5	20.3	10
1995	728	38.0	19.2	8.7
1996	728	38.0	19.2	8.7
1997	731	37.6	19.4	7.7
1998	723	38.0	19.0	8.3
1999	729	39.4	18.5	11.1
2000	494	28.2	17.5	8.3
2001	513	29.3	17.5	8.4
2002	502	29.7	16.9	9.4
2003	502	29.7	16.9	9.4
2004	485	28.2	17.2	12.2
2005	477	28.2	16.9	9.2
2006	479	28.6	16.7	11.7
2007	453	28.6	15.8	9.9
2008	458	34.0	13.5	12
2009	474	27.5	17.2	12.4
2010	453	31.1	14.5	15.2
2011	460	29.2	15.7	20.4
2012	452	28.6	15.7	3.3
2013	432	28.3	15.2	24.5
2014	422	28.9	14.5	23.5
2015	390	27.0	14.4	24.1
2016	389	26.0	14.9	20.1
2017	388	27.2	14.2	18.6
2018	349	27.0	12.9	19.5
2019	373	26.0	14.3	22
2020	394	26.5	14.8	15.2
2021	362	29.3	12.3	12.4
2022	370	31.0	11.9	13.8
2023	372	29.5	12.6	14.2
2024	387	28.5	13.5	12.7

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	709	39.0	18.1	n/a
1992	728	36.0	20.2	n/a
1993	749	38.0	19.7	12.6
1994	740	36.5	20.3	10
1995	728	38.0	19.2	8.7
1996	728	38.0	19.2	8.7
1997	731	37.6	19.4	7.7
1998	723	38.0	19.0	8.3
1999	729	39.4	18.5	11.1
2000	494	28.2	17.5	8.3
2001	513	29.3	17.5	8.4
2002	502	29.7	16.9	9.4
2003	502	29.7	16.9	9.4
2004	485	28.2	17.2	12.2
2005	477	28.2	16.9	9.2
2006	479	28.6	16.7	11.7
2007	453	28.6	15.8	9.9
2008	458	34.0	13.5	12
2009	474	27.5	17.2	12.4
2010	453	31.1	14.5	15.2
2011	460	29.2	15.7	20.4
2012	452	28.6	15.7	3.3
2013	432	28.3	15.2	24.5
2014	422	28.9	14.5	23.5
2015	390	27.0	14.4	24.1
2016	389	26.0	14.9	20.1
2017	388	27.2	14.2	18.6
2018	349	27.0	12.9	19.5
2019	373	26.0	14.3	22
2020	394	26.5	14.8	15.2
2021	362	29.3	12.3	12.4
2022	370	31.0	11.9	13.8
2023	372	29.5	12.6	14.2
2024	387	28.5	13.5	12.7

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

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$13,354
2019	$12,518
2020	$14,059
2021	$15,341
2022	$16,649
2023	$16,628

Data source: Maine 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 144^th of 258 Elementary schools	Ranks 73^rd of 290 Elementary schools	30.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	373	372	0.3%
African American	3	1	66.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	12	14	16.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	350	343	2%
Two or More Races	7	13	85.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	22%	14.2%	7.7%

Schools Near Central School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MEA English Language Arts (2023)	MEA Mathematics (2023)	MEA Science (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MEA English Language Arts All Grades	MEA Mathematics All Grades	MEA Science All Grades	Total
Central School	Public	PK, KG-3	197 Main Street	South Berwick	03908	York County	Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35	No	No	No	No	(207) 384-2333	387	29	13.5	12.7%	355 (91.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.1%)	77.1	73^rd of 290 public elementary schools	74.8%		71.5	53^rd of 210 public elementary schools	74.8%	20	71.2	61.6		$16,628
Marshwood Great Works School	Public	4-5	49 Academy Street	South Berwick	03908	York County	Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35	No	No	No	No	(207) 384-4010	304	24	12.7	9.2%	290 (95.4%)	2 (0.7%)	8 (2.6%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)								(n/a)	68.0	48.1	22.0	$17,459
Vivian E Hussey School	Public	K-3	20 Blackberry Hill Road	Berwick	03901	York County	Regional School Unit 60/Maine School Admin District 60	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 698-4465	358	32	11.1	31.6%	302 (84.4%)	5 (1.4%)	22 (6.1%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.4%)	69	99^th of 290 public elementary schools	65.9%		80.3	33^rd of 210 public elementary schools	84.3%	66	70.7	55.0		$18,754
Eric L Knowlton School	Public	4-5	8 Noble Lane	Berwick	03901	York County	Regional School Unit 60/Maine School Admin District 60	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 698-1188	225	20	11.4	30.7%	203 (90.2%)	4 (1.8%)	4 (1.8%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.4%)								(n/a)	56.6	48.1	11.2	$17,407
North Berwick Elementary School	Public	K-4	25 Varney Road	North Berwick	03906	York County	Regional School Unit 60/Maine School Admin District 60	No	No	No	No	(207) 676-9811	254	23	10.9	24.4%	233 (91.7%)	2 (0.8%)	5 (2.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.3%)	72	85^th of 290 public elementary schools	70.7%		65.9	67^th of 210 public elementary schools	68.1%	18	68.0	61.6		$16,593
Eliot Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	1298 State Road	Eliot	03903	York County	Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35	No	No	No	No	(207) 439-9004	309	26	12.0	14.6%	275 (89.0%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (4.2%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.5%)	89.2	27^th of 290 public elementary schools	90.7%		57.6	88^th of 210 public elementary schools	58.1%	61	73.5	77.9		$19,839
Village Elementary School-York	Public	K-1	124 York Street	York	03909	York County	York Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 363-4870	188	24	8.0	16.0%	166 (88.3%)	3 (1.6%)	9 (4.8%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.3%)								(n/a)				$27,966
Coastal Ridge Elementary	Public	2-4	1 Coastal Ridge Drive	York	03909	York County	York Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 363-1800	338	32	10.4	15.1%	309 (91.4%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.3%)	96.9	5^th of 290 public elementary schools	98.3%		87.7	11^th of 210 public elementary schools	94.8%	6	81.6	85.2		$22,793
Horace Mitchell Primary School	Public	K-3	7 School Lane	Kittery Point	03905	York County	Kittery Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 439-1707	259	32	8.1	13.5%	210 (81.1%)	3 (1.2%)	24 (9.3%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (6.9%)	64.2	113^th of 290 public elementary schools	61.0%					(n/a)	65.2	58.7		$21,941
Wells Elementary School	Public	K-4	276 Sanford RD	Wells	04090	York County	Wells-Ogunquit Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 646-5953	559	44	12.8	18.4%	495 (88.6%)	6 (1.1%)	21 (3.8%)	10 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (4.7%)	90.3	23^rd of 290 public elementary schools	92.1%		82.6	27^th of 210 public elementary schools	87.1%	4	75.8	73.3		$18,750

Frequently Asked Questions about Central School

What schools do graduates of Central School attend?

Students who attend Central School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Marshwood Middle School
High : Marshwood High School

What district is Central School in?

Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35

Is Central School a good school?

Central School ranks 73^rd of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 387 students attended Central School.

What is the racial makeup of Central School?

Students at Central School are 92% White, 4% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

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