The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in Math. The lowest is 44% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Centralia Intermediate
Centralia Intermediate serves third through fifth grade in the Centralia R-VI School District, a small city straddling Boone and Audrain counties. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and sits in a town shaped by its railroad origins and dominated by a single major employer, A.B. Chance/Hubbell Power Systems, which manufactures utility equipment. The district built this school as its newest building, opening it in recent years to handle rising enrollment, which signals that the town is seeing enough growth to need more classroom space. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with small numbers of Hispanic students and students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, so the school serves a mix of income levels even in a town with a strong manufacturing employment base.
On the Missouri Assessment Program, the school’s results vary by grade and subject. In math, fourth graders reached a proficiency rate well above the third- and fifth-grade rates. In English language arts, fourth graders also performed at a higher level than third graders, and fifth graders posted the lowest rate across the three grades tested. Fifth-grade science results were suppressed from public reporting. Looking across all tested subjects and grades, Centralia Intermediate’s overall proficiency index lands above the midpoint when compared with other districts in Boone County. That tells a parent that within the county, this school sits in the upper half of academic performance, but not at the top. The pattern of fourth graders outperforming both third and fifth graders is worth a conversation with the school; a parent may want to ask how the curriculum and instruction align across the grades, and what support exists for students as they move into the final year of intermediate school.
Because this is an intermediate school serving only grades three through five, there is no graduation rate to report, and the data does not include chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, course access, or discipline figures. Those gaps are typical for an elementary-level school, but a parent should still ask the district or principal for information on class sizes, teacher retention, and how the school identifies and supports students who are struggling academically. The data also does not show the number of students receiving special education services or English learner support, so families with children who have those needs should contact the school directly to understand what programs and staffing are in place.
Centralia itself is a small city with a compact downtown built around a City Square park, which hosts the annual Anchor Festival. The town has several recreation parks, a public library, and the Centralia Battlefield site open to visitors. Housing values in the area are above the Missouri state median, though still below the national median, and the local real estate market has seen a modest year-over-year increase. For a family considering a move, Centralia offers a small-town environment with an industrial anchor employer and a school district that has invested in new facilities. The district brief turned up no major recent referendums, curriculum overhauls, or property-tax changes, so parents should check directly with the district office for any pending decisions that could affect school funding or programming.
For a parent weighing this school, the picture is of a solid middle-performing elementary in a stable, growing small town. The enrollment increase that drove construction of the intermediate building suggests the district is drawing families, but the academic numbers show room for improvement, particularly in fifth-grade reading and math. A family looking for a tight-knit community with a single feeder pattern from elementary through high school will find that here. A family with a child who needs strong academic intervention or enrichment should confirm what those programs look like before enrolling.
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