Enrollment
364
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fincastle, VA
Central Academy Middle
Federal NCES profile for Central Academy Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 67/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510042000164
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Academy Middle earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- 67
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 36.3%
- free-lunch eligible
- 364
- students enrolled
Central Academy Middle has class sizes smaller than 82% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Botetourt County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510042000164 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.3%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Academy Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Academy Middle
Central Academy Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Fincastle, Virginia, enrolling 364 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 364 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 125 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 182 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Discipline events run high: 94 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 364 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Botetourt County Public Schools also operates Lord Botetourt High (963 students) and Read Mountain Middle (670 students) alongside Central Academy Middle.
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 Central Academy Middle compares
Central Academy Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.7:1 | ▼ 16% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.3% | ▼ 37% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 364 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
364
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 18% in Virginia - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
7.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,046
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 182 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
74
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.8 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 91.5%
Two or More 4.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 91.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.0, Central Academy Middle is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Botetourt County Public Schools, which includes Central Academy Middle.
$13,046
Per student
-11%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.6%
State 48.0%
Federal 9.4%
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 Central Academy Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Botetourt High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Read Mountain Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James River High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colonial Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Greenfield Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Academy Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 670
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~364 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Academy Middle's federal record.
- Compare Central Academy Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Botetourt County Public Schools'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 Central Academy Middle
How many students attend Central Academy Middle?
Central Academy Middle has 364 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fincastle, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Academy Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Academy Middle is 11.7:1, which is 16% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Academy Middle?
36.3% of students at Central Academy Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Academy Middle?
The largest demographic group at Central Academy Middle is White at 91.5% of enrollment, in Fincastle, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Academy Middle?
Central Academy Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (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).
Is Central Academy Middle a good school?
Central Academy Middle earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia 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 Botetourt County Public Schools?
Besides Central Academy Middle, Botetourt County Public Schools also operates Lord Botetourt High (963 students), Read Mountain Middle (670 students), and James River High (464 students). See the Botetourt County Public Schools 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.