Enrollment
390
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bismarck, ND
Centennial Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Centennial Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 380001400821
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Centennial Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of North Dakota schools.
- #7 of 19
- elementary schools in Bismarck · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.9:1
- large classes for North Dakota
- 19.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Centennial Elementary School has class sizes larger than 74% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Centennial Elementary School ranks #7 of 19 elementary schools in Bismarck, ND.
School address
District: Bismarck 1 · North Dakota
NCES ID 380001400821 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.6%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Centennial Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Centennial Elementary School
Centennial Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Bismarck, North Dakota, enrolling 390 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the larger third of North Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 19.6% lands close to the North Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 390 puts it in the larger third of North Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 498 scored North Dakota schools.
Against 88 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #13.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 390 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Bismarck 1 spends $14,037 per pupil, 24% below the North Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bismarck's elementary schools, it stands alongside Victor Solheim Elementary School (588 students): Centennial Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.9:1 vs 15.5:1).
Bismarck 1 also operates Legacy High School (1,419 students) and Century High School (1,406 students) alongside Centennial Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Centennial Elementary School compares
Centennial Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against North Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▲ 18% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.6% | ▼ 30% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 390 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
390
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% below the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 74% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,037
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 390 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 74.1%
Two or More 8.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.1%
Asian 3.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.3%
African American 2.1%
Largest group: White at 74.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.7, Centennial Elementary School is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bismarck 1, which includes Centennial Elementary School.
$14,037
Per student
-24%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.0%
State 55.3%
Federal 16.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Centennial Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Century High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bismarck High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horizon Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Simle Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Centennial Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,419
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,406
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,367
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,124
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Bismarck
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Victor Solheim Elementary School
Standard public school
588 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Elk Ridge Elementary School
Standard public school
510 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Robert Place Miller Elementary School
Standard public school
485 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Liberty Elementary School
Standard public school
470 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Sunrise Elementary School
Standard public school
445 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Northridge Elementary School
Standard public school
410 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~390 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Centennial Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Centennial Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Bismarck 1's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Centennial Elementary School
How many students attend Centennial Elementary School?
Centennial Elementary School has 390 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bismarck, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Centennial Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Centennial Elementary School is 13.9:1, which is 18% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Centennial Elementary School?
19.6% of students at Centennial Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Centennial Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Centennial Elementary School is White at 74.1% of enrollment, in Bismarck, ND.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Centennial Elementary School?
Centennial Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Centennial Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Bismarck?
By Resource Investment Index, Centennial Elementary School ranks #7 of 19 elementary schools in Bismarck, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Bismarck on the city page.
Is Centennial Elementary School a good school?
Centennial Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of North Dakota schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Bismarck 1?
Besides Centennial Elementary School, Bismarck 1 also operates Legacy High School (1,419 students), Century High School (1,406 students), and Bismarck High School (1,367 students). See the Bismarck 1 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.