Enrollment
451
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Whiteville, NC
Central Middle
Federal NCES profile for Central Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370492001967
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of North Carolina schools.
- #6 of 9
- public schools in Whiteville · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 99.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Middle has class sizes smaller than 79% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #6 of 9 public schools in Whiteville, NC.
School address
District: Whiteville City Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370492001967 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Middle
Central Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Whiteville, North Carolina, enrolling 451 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.4% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 451 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 540 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #307.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and White (36%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 451 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 288 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 451 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Whiteville City Schools also operates Whiteville High (639 students) and Whiteville Primary (486 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 North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.9:1 | ▼ 18% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.4% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 451 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
451
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 21% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.8%
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
$14,263
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 451 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
190
in-school suspensions + 98 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 42.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 63.9 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
African American 42.8%
White 35.7%
Hispanic or Latino 14.2%
Two or More 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: African American at 42.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.5, Central Middle is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Whiteville City Schools, which includes Central Middle.
$14,263
Per student
+19%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.0%
State 55.1%
Federal 28.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whiteville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whiteville Primary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Edgewood Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Whiteville Academy | Smaller | Lower 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
- 639
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 450
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 16
- Students per teacher
- 2.3:1
- Resource Index
- 86/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~451 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Middle's federal record.
- Compare Central Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Whiteville City Schools'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 451 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Whiteville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Middle is 12.9:1, which is 18% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 18% 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?
99.4% of students at Central Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Middle?
The largest demographic group at Central Middle is African American at 42.8% of enrollment, in Whiteville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Middle?
Central Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Whiteville?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #6 of 9 public schools in Whiteville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Whiteville on the city page.
Is Central Middle a good school?
Central Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of North Carolina 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 Whiteville City Schools?
Besides Central Middle, Whiteville City Schools also operates Whiteville High (639 students), Whiteville Primary (486 students), and Edgewood Elementary (450 students). See the Whiteville City Schools 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.