Enrollment
442
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Park Hills, MO
Central Middle
Federal NCES profile for Central Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 292917002449
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Missouri schools.
- #6 of 8
- public schools in Park Hills · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 47.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Middle has class sizes larger than 81% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #6 of 8 public schools in Park Hills, MO.
School address
District: Central R-Iii · Missouri
NCES ID 292917002449 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.4%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+3% 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 mid-sized middle school in Park Hills, Missouri, enrolling 442 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 47.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 442 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Among 430 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #400, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment) (diversity index 8/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 442 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 22.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Central R-Iii also operates Central High (605 students) and Central Elem. (530 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 19% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.4% | ▲ 3% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 442 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
442
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 81% in Missouri - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.0%
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
$10,842
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 442 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 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 95.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%
African American 1.4%
Two or More 0.7%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 95.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.0, Central Middle is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central R-Iii, which includes Central Middle.
$10,842
Per student
-16%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.2%
State 43.7%
Federal 22.1%
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 High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Elem. | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Elem. | Similar size | 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
- 605
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 530
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~442 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Middle's federal record.
- Compare Central Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Central R-Iii'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 442 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Park Hills, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Middle is 15.2:1, which is 19% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Middle?
47.4% 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 95.9% of enrollment, in Park Hills, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Middle?
Central Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Park Hills?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #6 of 8 public schools in Park Hills, 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 Park Hills on the city page.
Is Central Middle a good school?
Central Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of 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 Central R-Iii?
Besides Central Middle, Central R-Iii also operates Central High (605 students), Central Elem. (530 students), and West Elem. (464 students). See the Central R-Iii 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.