Central Elementary School

Summary:

Central Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 662 students. The school is part of the Allentown City School District, which is ranked 544 out of 610 school districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of Pennsylvania elementary schools, with its students performing significantly below the state and district averages on PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) tests. For example, in 2023-2024, only 21.9% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 40.4% statewide and 13.5% in the Allentown City School District. The school's high poverty rate, with over 99% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, is a significant factor contributing to its academic challenges.

While Central Elementary School's spending per student and student-teacher ratio are not drastically different from nearby schools in the Allentown City School District, such as Muhlenberg Elementary, Washington Elementary, and Luis A. Ramos Elementary, the persistent underperformance suggests that factors beyond just resources, such as instructional quality, school leadership, and community engagement, may be contributing to the school's struggles. To address these challenges, the district and school may need to implement comprehensive, evidence-based strategies that target the specific needs of the student population.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 829 W Turner St
       Allentown, PA  18102-4066


(484) 765-4801

District: Allentown City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1347th of 1,526 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,773 Help


Students who attend Central Elementary School usually attend:

High:    William Allen High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.0 Help
Number of students:  697

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
70.6%
African American:
12.3%
Two or more races:
11.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Central Elementary School ranks worse than 88.3% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 8th among 13 ranked elementary schools in the Allentown City School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.9. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (70.6%), African American (12.3%), two or more races (11%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 16, which is the 7th best among 13 elementary schools in the Allentown City School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Central Elementary School employs 43.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Elementary School is $13,773. 12 elementary schools in the Allentown City School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Central Elementary School 1347th of 1526 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Central Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:


Allentown City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Allentown City School District 544th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Central Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 2.23 1239th 1302 4.8%
2004 1.05 1270th 1308 2.9%
2005 1.10 1270th 1299 2.2%
2006 2.10 1509th 1545 2.3%
2007 6.24 1469th 1555 5.5%
2008 2.98 1510th 1551 2.6%
2009 2.02 1522nd 1549 1.7%
2010 5.03 1522nd 1579 3.6%
2011 6.60 1527th 1597 4.4%
2012 6.60 1504th 1599 5.9%
2013 1.96 1468th 1519 3.4%
2014 2.94 1393rd 1467 5.0%
2015 6.96 1355th 1474 8.1%
2016 7.69 1413th 1554 9.1%
2017 6.65 1414th 1547 8.6%
2018 6.35 1418th 1530 7.3%
2019 4.61 1464th 1544 5.2%
2022 5.48 1456th 1534 5.1%
2023 8.08 1393rd 1534 9.2%
2024 10.90 1347th 1526 11.7%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 18.79 98th 117 16.2%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 23.89 169th 196 13.8%
2024 30.74 153rd 200 23.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 13.05 1259th 1414 11.0%
2024 18.15 1209th 1432 15.6%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 11.78 1306th 1488 12.2%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 17.50 922nd 1043 11.6%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 10.92 1332nd 1495 10.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 36.32 267th 437 38.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 23.82 360th 432 16.7%
2024 30.60 331st 454 27.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept 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 Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Central Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 209 97 10 257 0 n/a n/a 0 573
1989 177 90 12 287 0 n/a n/a 0 566
1990 161 92 10 313 0 n/a n/a 0 576
1991 180 98 7 356 0 n/a n/a 0 641
1992 130 104 7 342 0 n/a n/a 0 583
1993 113 108 5 343 0 n/a n/a 0 569
1994 111 109 5 375 0 n/a n/a 0 600
1995 114 130 6 402 2 n/a n/a 0 654
1996 114 130 6 402 2 n/a n/a 0 654
1997 141 112 9 415 1 n/a n/a 0 678
1998 114 120 3 463 1 n/a n/a 0 701
1999 121 154 4 444 1 n/a n/a 0 724
2000 116 128 4 454 0 n/a n/a 0 702
2001 108 158 8 535 1 n/a n/a 0 810
2002 96 178 11 490 0 n/a n/a 0 775
2003 96 178 11 490 0 n/a n/a 0 775
2004 77 169 13 478 0 n/a n/a 0 737
2005 76 181 14 521 5 n/a n/a 0 797
2006 64 165 12 562 6 n/a n/a 0 809
2007 52 157 6 534 5 n/a n/a 0 754
2008 56 179 6 512 4 n/a n/a 0 757
2009 44 179 6 579 4 n/a n/a 0 812
2010 52 147 6 525 0 n/a n/a 0 730
2011 57 135 6 502 0 0 1 0 701
2012 44 125 4 472 0 0 14 0 659
2013 38 108 5 431 2 1 32 0 617
2014 52 123 4 547 1 1 91 0 819
2015 53 132 5 582 2 2 68 0 844
2016 39 117 2 550 1 1 57 0 767
2017 35 140 3 562 2 1 41 0 784
2018 30 131 1 532 3 0 30 0 727
2019 25 130 3 561 0 0 35 0 754
2020 38 107 4 573 0 0 38 0 760
2021 38 95 4 480 0 1 45 0 663
2022 35 96 1 521 0 1 42 0 696
2023 40 89 2 479 0 1 51 0 662
2024 37 86 4 492 0 1 77 0 697

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 School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 573 31.9 17.9 n/a
1989 566 33.9 16.6 n/a
1990 576 36.7 15.6 0
1991 641 39.3 16.3 n/a
1992 583 36.3 16.0 n/a
1993 569 28.0 20.3 n/a
1994 600 32.0 18.8 n/a
1995 654 35.0 18.7 n/a
1996 654 35.0 18.7 n/a
1997 678 35.0 19.4 n/a
1998 701 42.0 16.7 n/a
1999 724 43.0 16.8 n/a
2000 702 41.0 17.1 93.3
2001 810 36.0 22.5 80.4
2002 775 45.4 17.1 78.5
2003 775 45.4 17.1 78.5
2004 737 47.5 15.5 74.2
2005 797 45.6 17.5 76.3
2006 809 40.4 20.0 95.4
2007 754 36.7 20.5 90.1
2008 757 45.2 16.7 95.9
2009 812 49.0 16.6 98.2
2010 730 45.0 16.2 90.5
2011 701 53.6 13.0 95
2012 659 26.7 24.6 87.6
2013 617 42.5 14.5 94.5
2014 819 38.5 21.2 81.3
2015 844 39.0 21.6 55.1
2016 767 46.0 16.6 59.8
2017 784 44.5 17.6 99.7
2018 727 42.0 17.3 100
2019 754 42.0 17.9 87.8
2020 760 46.0 16.5 100
2021 663 47.5 13.9 99.5
2022 696 39.7 17.5 99.6
2023 662 45.0 14.7 100
2024 697 43.3 16.0 100

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 School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 573 31.9 17.9 n/a
1989 566 33.9 16.6 n/a
1990 576 36.7 15.6 0
1991 641 39.3 16.3 n/a
1992 583 36.3 16.0 n/a
1993 569 28.0 20.3 n/a
1994 600 32.0 18.8 n/a
1995 654 35.0 18.7 n/a
1996 654 35.0 18.7 n/a
1997 678 35.0 19.4 n/a
1998 701 42.0 16.7 n/a
1999 724 43.0 16.8 n/a
2000 702 41.0 17.1 93.3
2001 810 36.0 22.5 80.4
2002 775 45.4 17.1 78.5
2003 775 45.4 17.1 78.5
2004 737 47.5 15.5 74.2
2005 797 45.6 17.5 76.3
2006 809 40.4 20.0 95.4
2007 754 36.7 20.5 90.1
2008 757 45.2 16.7 95.9
2009 812 49.0 16.6 98.2
2010 730 45.0 16.2 90.5
2011 701 53.6 13.0 95
2012 659 26.7 24.6 87.6
2013 617 42.5 14.5 94.5
2014 819 38.5 21.2 81.3
2015 844 39.0 21.6 55.1
2016 767 46.0 16.6 59.8
2017 784 44.5 17.6 99.7
2018 727 42.0 17.3 100
2019 754 42.0 17.9 87.8
2020 760 46.0 16.5 100
2021 663 47.5 13.9 99.5
2022 696 39.7 17.5 99.6
2023 662 45.0 14.7 100
2024 697 43.3 16.0 100

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 Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $941 (7.2%) $12,087 (92.8%) $13,028
2020 $921 (7.0%) $12,159 (93.0%) $13,080
2021 $1,321 (10.2%) $11,669 (89.8%) $12,990
2022 $2,297 (16.7%) $11,476 (83.3%) $13,773

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Central Elementary 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 1464th of 1544 Elementary schoolsRanks 1393rd of 1534 Elementary schools
 4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Central Elementary School)16.710.3
 6.4%
   3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)5651.7
 4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Central Elementary School)17.515.1
 2.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)61.954
 7.9%
4th Grade Math (Central Elementary School)913.2
 4.2%
   4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)46.246.5
 0.3%
4th Grade Science (Central Elementary School)3643.9
 7.9%
   4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)77.874.1
 3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Central Elementary School)25.213.4
 11.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)63.651.8
 11.8%
5th Grade Math (Central Elementary School)11.324.4
 13.1%
   5th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)4342.7
 0.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Central Elementary School)24.114.1
 10%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)58.553.6
 4.9%
All Grades Math (Central Elementary School)1215.6
 3.6%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Central Elementary School)3643.9
 7.9%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Central Elementary School)22.614.2
 8.4%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.953.8
 7.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students754662
 12.2%
African American13089
 31.5%
American Indian00
Asian32
 33.3%
Hispanic561479
 14.6%
Pacific Islander01
White2540
 60%
Two or More Races3551
 45.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients87.8%100%
 12.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary School

Central Elementary School ranks in the bottom 11.7% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 697 students attended Central Elementary School.

Students at Central Elementary School are 71% Hispanic, 12% African American, 11% Two or more races, 5% White.

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

High : William Allen 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 Pennsylvania 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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