Enrollment
1,222
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Murfreesboro, TN
Central Magnet School
Federal NCES profile for Central Magnet School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 470369002247
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Magnet School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Tennessee.
- #12 of 17
- schools in Murfreesboro · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 1,222
- students enrolled
Central Magnet School has class sizes larger than 79% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Magnet School ranks #12 of 17 schools in Murfreesboro, TN.
School address
District: Rutherford County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470369002247 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
71.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Magnet School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Magnet School
Central Magnet School is a large combined-grade school in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, enrolling 1,222 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Tennessee, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,222 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Asian (13%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 407 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Murfreesboro's public schools, it stands alongside Brown's Chapel Elementary School (1,002 students): Central Magnet School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.2:1 vs 20.9:1).
Rutherford County also operates Stewarts Creek High School (2,474 students) and Blackman High School (2,301 students) alongside Central Magnet 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 Central Magnet School compares
Central Magnet School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.2:1 | ▲ 12% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,222 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,222
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 79% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
3.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$10,141
per pupil, district-wide
- below Tennessee avg of $10,822
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 407 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 73.2%
Asian 12.7%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
Two or More 4.5%
African American 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 73.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.2, Central Magnet School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 27
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rutherford County, which includes Central Magnet School.
$10,141
Per student
-6%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.9%
State 45.4%
Federal 12.7%
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 Central Magnet School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stewarts Creek High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blackman High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverdale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Smyrna High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rockvale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Magnet School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,474
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,301
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,275
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,266
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,126
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Murfreesboro
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Brown's Chapel Elementary School
Standard public school
1,002 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Barfield Elementary
Standard public school
969 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Blackman Elementary School
Standard public school
954 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Salem Elementary School
Standard public school
946 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Black Fox Elementary
Standard public school
889 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Erma Siegel Elementary
Standard public school
867 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,222 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Magnet School's federal record.
- Compare Central Magnet School against another school. Compare schools
- Rutherford County'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 Magnet School
How many students attend Central Magnet School?
Central Magnet School has 1,222 students enrolled. It is a public school in Murfreesboro, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Magnet School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Magnet School is 17.2:1, which is 12% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Magnet School?
The largest demographic group at Central Magnet School is White at 73.2% of enrollment, in Murfreesboro, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Magnet School?
Central Magnet School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Magnet School rank among schools in Murfreesboro?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Magnet School ranks #12 of 17 schools in Murfreesboro, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Murfreesboro on the city page.
Is Central Magnet School a good school?
Central Magnet School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Tennessee. 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 Rutherford County?
Besides Central Magnet School, Rutherford County also operates Stewarts Creek High School (2,474 students), Blackman High School (2,301 students), and Riverdale High School (2,275 students). See the Rutherford County 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.