Enrollment
216
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Norwood Young America, MN
Central Middle
Federal NCES profile for Central Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 272391002507
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 78
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Middle earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Minnesota schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Norwood Young America · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 15.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Middle has class sizes larger than 75% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Norwood Young America, MN.
School address
District: Central Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 272391002507 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.3%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Middle compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Middle
Central Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Norwood Young America, Minnesota, enrolling 216 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.3% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the Minnesota average.
With 216 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 133 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #52.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 108 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Central Public School District also operates Central Elementary (413 students) and Central Senior High (337 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 Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▲ 14% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.3% | ▼ 64% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 216 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
216
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 75% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.6%
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
$12,914
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
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 108 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.0 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 83.8%
Two or More 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
African American 1.9%
Largest group: White at 83.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.7, Central Middle is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Public School District, which includes Central Middle.
$12,914
Per student
-15%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.5%
State 58.3%
Federal 12.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central Senior High | Larger | Similar 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
- 413
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 337
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~216 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Middle's federal record.
- Compare Central Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Central Public School District'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 216 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Norwood Young America, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Middle is 18:1, which is 14% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Middle?
15.3% of students at Central Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Middle?
The largest demographic group at Central Middle is White at 83.8% of enrollment, in Norwood Young America, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Middle?
Central Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 public schools in Norwood Young America?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Norwood Young America, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Norwood Young America on the city page.
Is Central Middle a good school?
Central Middle earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Minnesota 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 Central Public School District?
Besides Central Middle, Central Public School District also operates Central Elementary (413 students) and Central Senior High (337 students). See the Central Public School District district page for the complete list.
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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.