Enrollment
1,012
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Central, LA
Central Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Central Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 220012500364
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Middle School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median.
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 45.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 1,012
- students enrolled
Central Middle School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Central Community School District · Louisiana
NCES ID 220012500364 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.1%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Middle School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Middle School
Central Middle School is a large middle school in Central, Louisiana, enrolling 1,012 students.
At 15.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Louisiana median, within a few percentage points of the 16.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Louisiana, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,012 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Among 159 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #11, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and African American (20%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Central Community School District spends $11,628 per pupil, 29% below the Louisiana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 242 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,012 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 18 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Central Community School District also operates Central High School (1,529 students) and Central Intermediate School (1,039 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 Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▼ 6% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.1% | ▼ 28% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,012 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,012
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 44% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
3.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$11,628
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
125
in-school suspensions + 117 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 18 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.
Student demographics
White 66.0%
African American 19.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.5, Central Middle School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Community School District, which includes Central Middle School.
$11,628
Per student
-29%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.1%
State 48.1%
Federal 12.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tanglewood Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bellingrath Hills Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 1,529
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,039
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,012 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Central Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Central Community 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 1,012 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Central, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Middle School is 15.8:1, which is 6% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 1% higher 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 School?
45.1% of students at Central Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Central Middle School is White at 66.0% of enrollment, in Central, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Middle School?
Central Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (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).
Is Central Middle School a good school?
Central Middle School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana 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 Central Community School District?
Besides Central Middle School, Central Community School District also operates Central High School (1,529 students), Central Intermediate School (1,039 students), and Tanglewood Elementary School (622 students). See the Central Community 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.