Enrollment
922
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · White Bear Lake, MN
Central Middle
Federal NCES profile for Central Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 274236001787
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #3 of 5
- middle schools in White Bear Lake · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 19.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Middle has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #3 of 5 middle schools in White Bear Lake, MN.
School address
District: White Bear Lake School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 274236001787 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-56% 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, large middle school in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, enrolling 922 students.
At 15.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Minnesota median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.0% free-meal eligibility runs 56% below the Minnesota average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 93% of state schools at 922 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 270 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #150.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (7%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 307 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
White Bear Lake School District also operates White Bear North Campus Senior (1,359 students) and White Bear South Campus Senior (1,111 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 | 15.1:1 | ▼ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.0% | ▼ 56% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 922 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
922
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 55% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.1%
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
$15,098
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 307 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 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 76.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.7%
Two or More 6.7%
Asian 6.5%
African American 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 76.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.1, Central Middle is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for White Bear Lake School District, which includes Central Middle.
$15,098
Per student
-1%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 51.9%
Federal 9.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Bear North Campus Senior | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Bear South Campus Senior | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunrise Park Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Matoska International | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Otter Lake Elementary | Smaller | 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
- 1,359
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,111
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 743
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 492
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~922 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Middle's federal record.
- Compare Central Middle against another school. Compare schools
- White Bear Lake 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 922 students enrolled. It is a middle school in White Bear Lake, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Middle is 15.1:1, which is 4% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 4% 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 Middle?
19.0% 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 76.5% of enrollment, in White Bear Lake, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Middle?
Central Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 White Bear Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #3 of 5 middle schools in White Bear Lake, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in White Bear Lake on the city page.
Is Central Middle a good school?
Central Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. 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 White Bear Lake School District?
Besides Central Middle, White Bear Lake School District also operates White Bear North Campus Senior (1,359 students), White Bear South Campus Senior (1,111 students), and Sunrise Park Middle (743 students). See the White Bear Lake School District 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.