Enrollment
860
Delaware · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Dover, DE
Central Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Central Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 100019000049
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Delaware median.
- #14 of 20
- public schools in Dover · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 860
- students enrolled
Central Middle School has class sizes near the Delaware median. Computed live against every Delaware school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle School ranks #14 of 20 public schools in Dover, DE.
School address
District: Capital School District · Delaware
NCES ID 100019000049 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Delaware avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Middle School compares with Delaware and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Middle School
Central Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Dover, Delaware, enrolling 860 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Delaware schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 860 puts it in the larger third of Delaware schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 222 scored Delaware schools.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 430 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Capital School District spends $24,337 per pupil, 43% above the Delaware average, a better-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 293 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 860 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 20 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Dover's middle schools, it stands alongside Dover Air Force Base Middle School (98 students): Central Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.8:1 vs 6.5:1).
Capital School District also operates Dover High School (1,812 students) and South Dover Elementary School (577 students) alongside Central Middle School.
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 School compares
Central Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Delaware and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Delaware | Delaware avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 860 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
860
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 64% in Delaware - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
59.2%
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
$24,337
per pupil, district-wide
- above Delaware avg of $16,990
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 430 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
110
in-school suspensions + 183 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 34.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 20 expulsions.
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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capital School District, which includes Central Middle School.
$24,337
Per student
+43%
vs Delaware
Avg $16,990
+47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.9%
State 65.9%
Federal 13.1%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Dover Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| William Henry Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Towne Point Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Dover Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,812
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 432
- Students per teacher
- 8.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar middle schools in Dover
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Delaware, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~860 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Central Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Capital 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 School
How many students attend Central Middle School?
Central Middle School has 860 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Dover, DE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Middle School is 14.8:1, which is 6% higher than the Delaware average of 13.9:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Middle School?
Central Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 School rank among public schools in Dover?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle School ranks #14 of 20 public schools in Dover, DE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Dover on the city page.
Is Central Middle School a good school?
Central Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Delaware 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 Capital School District?
Besides Central Middle School, Capital School District also operates Dover High School (1,812 students), South Dover Elementary School (577 students), and William Henry Middle School (432 students). See the Capital 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.