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Public elementary school · Traverse City Area Public Schools · Traverse City, Michigan

Central Grade School

Central Grade School rates 7.8, among the strongest elementary schools in Traverse City Area Public Schools, where the rated median is 6.7.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.8this school

7.8 on a one-to-ten scale; the Traverse City Area Public Schools median is 6.7.

#492 of 3,198 schools in Michigan · Traverse City Area Public Schools: 11 elementary schools rated, median 6.7

The brief

A Traverse City Area Public Schools elementary school where students score 12 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 492 of 3,198 schools in Michigan and 4 of 16 in Traverse City Area Public Schools.

Central Grade School is listed in Traverse City Area Public Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math51%14 points above the Michigan average of 37%2022 EdFacts
Reading62%19 points above the Michigan average of 43%2022 EdFacts
Proficiency is down 36 points across the 14-year record (2009–2022) and has held near 57% recently.2022 EdFacts; 34 test records from MI state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.6
50% of the rating
Academics
9.0
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.3
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2024

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 54% (multi-year average, 2009-2022) · reading/ELA 68% (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 49684; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2022; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Central Grade School and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$75,678
Median home value
$375,700
Median rent
$1,216/mo
College educated
46.4%
Homeownership
66.4%
Poverty rate
8.5%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 49684; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
91
Walker's Paradise
Bike Score
97
Biker's Paradise
City reported crime
1,328/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Traverse City. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Traverse City), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
46.9%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 8.8Compare →
  2. 8.7Compare →
  3. 7.9Compare →
  4. Central Grade Schoolthis school
    7.8
  5. Grand Traverse Academy4.7 mi · charter
    7.1Compare →
  6. 6.7Compare →
  7. 6.6Compare →
  8. 6.2Compare →
  9. 3.9Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and three rate higher than Central Grade School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Central Grade School serve?

Central Grade School serves students in grades Pre-K through 6th.

How many students attend Central Grade School?

Central Grade School has an enrollment of approximately 537 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Grade School?

The student-teacher ratio at Central Grade School is 17.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Central Grade School rank in MI?

Central Grade School ranks #492 of 3,198 schools in MI.

What is Central Grade School's MySchoolScout rating?

Central Grade School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.8 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Central Grade School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Central Grade School has 54% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022) and 68% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

Is Central Grade School a charter school?

No, Central Grade School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Central Grade School a Title I school?

No, Central Grade School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Central Grade School?

46.9% of students at Central Grade School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 6th
Enrollment
537
Student-teacher ratio
17.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
30
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Small City
County
Grand Traverse County
Rank in district
#4 of 16
Schools in district
16
District spending per student
$14,840
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
8.3%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 49684)
21,328
Area average commute
19.2 min
Area median age
48.1

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Michigan Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.