Enrollment
687
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Kansas City, KS
Central Middle
Federal NCES profile for Central Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 200795001414
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Kansas schools.
- #7 of 10
- middle schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 81.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Middle has class sizes larger than 82% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #7 of 10 middle schools in Kansas City, KS.
School address
District: Kansas City · Kansas
NCES ID 200795001414 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.2%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+90% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Middle compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Middle
Central Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Kansas City, Kansas, enrolling 687 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 81.2% of students qualify for free meals, 90% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kansas, bigger than 92% of state schools at 687 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 59 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #27.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and African American (12%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 344 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 227 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 687 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Kansas City's middle schools, it stands alongside Carl B. Bruce Middle School (821 students): Central Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16:1 vs 16.4:1).
Kansas City also operates Wyandotte High (1,903 students) and Silver City Elem (1,495 students) alongside Central 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 Middle compares
Central Middle on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16:1 | ▲ 16% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.2% | ▲ 90% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 687 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
687
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 90% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 82% in Kansas - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
48.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,610
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kansas avg of $15,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 344 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
127
in-school suspensions + 100 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 77.0%
African American 12.2%
Asian 4.5%
White 3.3%
Two or More 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 77.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.9, Central Middle is about as mixed as the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kansas City, which includes Central Middle.
$16,610
Per student
+7%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.6%
State 70.8%
Federal 15.6%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyandotte High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Silver City Elem | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J C Harmon High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sumner Academy of Arts & Science | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,903
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,495
- Students per teacher
- 62.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,285
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,045
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle schools in Kansas City
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Carl B. Bruce Middle School
Standard public school
821 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Gloria Willis Middle School
Standard public school
737 students 15:1 students per teacher
Piper Middle
Standard public school
680 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
D D Eisenhower Middle
Standard public school
634 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Turner Middle School
Standard public school
585 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Argentine Middle
Standard public school
519 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~687 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Middle's federal record.
- Compare Central Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Kansas City'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 Middle
How many students attend Central Middle?
Central Middle has 687 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kansas City, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Middle is 16:1, which is 16% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Middle?
81.2% of students at Central Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Middle?
The largest demographic group at Central Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 77.0% of enrollment, in Kansas City, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Middle?
Central Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Central Middle rank among middle schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #7 of 10 middle schools in Kansas City, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Kansas City on the city page.
Is Central Middle a good school?
Central Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Kansas 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 Kansas City?
Besides Central Middle, Kansas City also operates Wyandotte High (1,903 students), Silver City Elem (1,495 students), and J C Harmon High (1,285 students). See the Kansas City 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.