Enrollment
955
Oklahoma · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lawton, OK
Central Ms
Federal NCES profile for Central Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 401725002393
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Ms earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Oklahoma median. It is also one of the largest schools in Oklahoma.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in Lawton · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 955
- students enrolled
Central Ms has class sizes near the Oklahoma median. Computed live against every Oklahoma school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Ms ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Lawton, OK.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 16.1:1 Oklahoma avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Ms compares with Oklahoma and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Ms
Central Ms is a large middle school in Lawton, Oklahoma, enrolling 955 students.
At 15.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Oklahoma median, within a few percentage points of the 16.1:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Oklahoma, bigger than 95% of state schools at 955 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,778 scored Oklahoma schools.
Its student body is led by White (30%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lawton's middle schools, it stands alongside Eisenhower Ms (1,087 students): Central Ms is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.9:1 vs 18.4:1).
Lawton also operates Eisenhower Hs (1,466 students) and Macarthur Hs (1,253 students) alongside Central Ms.
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 Ms compares
Central Ms on the metrics families compare, against Oklahoma and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Oklahoma | Oklahoma avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▼ 1% | 16.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 955 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
955
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 54% in Oklahoma - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.2%
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
$11,292
per pupil, district-wide
- below Oklahoma avg of $12,594
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 318 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
133
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.9 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
White 29.5%
Hispanic or Latino 28.6%
African American 17.6%
Two or More 16.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.8%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: White at 29.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 77.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 77.1, Central Ms is more mixed than the Oklahoma school average of 59.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lawton, which includes Central Ms.
$11,292
Per student
-10%
vs Oklahoma
Avg $12,594
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.0%
State 47.0%
Federal 26.0%
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 Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Hs | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Macarthur Hs | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freedom Es | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lawton Hs | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower Ms | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Ms's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,466
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,253
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,251
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,243
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,087
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools in Lawton
2 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 Oklahoma, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~955 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Ms's federal record.
- Compare Central Ms against another school. Compare schools
- Lawton'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 Ms
How many students attend Central Ms?
Central Ms has 955 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lawton, OK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Ms is 15.9:1, which is 1% lower than the Oklahoma average of 16.1:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Ms?
The largest demographic group at Central Ms is White at 29.5% of enrollment, in Lawton, OK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Ms?
Central Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Ms rank among middle schools in Lawton?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Ms ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Lawton, OK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Lawton on the city page.
Is Central Ms a good school?
Central Ms earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Oklahoma median. It is also one of the largest schools in Oklahoma. 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 Lawton?
Besides Central Ms, Lawton also operates Eisenhower Hs (1,466 students), Macarthur Hs (1,253 students), and Freedom Es (1,251 students). See the Lawton 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.