Enrollment
881
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chesterfield, MO
Central Middle
Federal NCES profile for Central Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 292358001547
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Middle earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #5 of 13
- public schools in Chesterfield · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 12.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Middle has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #5 of 13 public schools in Chesterfield, MO.
School address
District: Parkway C-2 · Missouri
NCES ID 292358001547 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
68.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.3%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Middle
Central Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Chesterfield, Missouri, enrolling 881 students.
At 13:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Missouri median, within a few percentage points of the 12.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.3% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the Missouri average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 94% of state schools at 881 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 157 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #28.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and African American (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 294 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
14.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Parkway C-2 also operates South High (1,485 students) and West High (1,417 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 Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▲ 2% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.3% | ▼ 73% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 881 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
881
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
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
13:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 55% in Missouri - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,102
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 294 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
36
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.8 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 57.7%
African American 14.9%
Asian 13.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Two or More 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 57.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Central Middle is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Parkway C-2, which includes Central Middle.
$14,102
Per student
+9%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 89.1%
State 4.2%
Federal 6.7%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 1,485
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,417
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,281
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 990
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 814
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~881 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Middle's federal record.
- Compare Central Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Parkway C-2'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 881 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chesterfield, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Middle is 13:1, which is 2% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Middle?
12.3% of students at Central Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Middle?
The largest demographic group at Central Middle is White at 57.7% of enrollment, in Chesterfield, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Middle?
Central Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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).
How does Central Middle rank among public schools in Chesterfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #5 of 13 public schools in Chesterfield, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chesterfield on the city page.
Is Central Middle a good school?
Central Middle earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri 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 Parkway C-2?
Besides Central Middle, Parkway C-2 also operates South High (1,485 students), West High (1,417 students), and Central High (1,281 students). See the Parkway C-2 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.