Enrollment
336
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Gatesville, NC
Central Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Central Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370168000719
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Gatesville · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 48.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Middle School 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 School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Gatesville, NC.
School address
District: Gates County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370168000719 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Middle School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Middle School
Central Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Gatesville, North Carolina, enrolling 336 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 runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 336 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 268 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #158.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 336 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Gates County Schools spends $16,417 per pupil, 37% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 76 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 336 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Gates County Schools also operates Gates County Senior High (432 students) and Gatesville Elementary (252 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 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 | 48.4% | ▼ 27% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 336 | top 73% | - | - |
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.
336
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; 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
32.1%
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
$16,417
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 336 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
47
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 60.7%
African American 25.3%
Two or More 8.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 60.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.8, Central Middle School is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gates County Schools, which includes Central Middle School.
$16,417
Per student
+37%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.1%
State 65.1%
Federal 17.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gates County Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gatesville Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buckland Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| T S Cooper Elementary | 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
- 432
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 252
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 220
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 170
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
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 (~336 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Central Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Gates County 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 School
How many students attend Central Middle School?
Central Middle School has 336 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Gatesville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Middle School 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 School?
48.4% of students at Central Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Central Middle School is White at 60.7% of enrollment, in Gatesville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Middle School?
Central Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 School rank among public schools in Gatesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Gatesville, 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 Gatesville on the city page.
Is Central Middle School a good school?
Central Middle School earns 43/100 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 Gates County Schools?
Besides Central Middle School, Gates County Schools also operates Gates County Senior High (432 students), Gatesville Elementary (252 students), and Buckland Elementary (220 students). See the Gates County 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.