Enrollment
450
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Centre, AL
Centre Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Centre Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010063000276
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Centre Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Centre · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- students per teacher
- 65.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Centre Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Centre Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Centre, AL.
School address
District: Cherokee County · Alabama
NCES ID 010063000276 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.9%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Centre Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Centre Middle School
Centre Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Centre, Alabama, enrolling 450 students.
At 18:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 450 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 436 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #116.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 300 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
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: 230 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 450 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Cherokee County also operates Sand Rock High School (783 students) and Centre Elementary School (665 students) alongside Centre 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 Centre Middle School compares
Centre Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▲ 2% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.9% | ▲ 12% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 450 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
450
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 60% in Alabama - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$12,235
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 300 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
163
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 36.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 51.1 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 84.7%
African American 6.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 84.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.5, Centre Middle School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cherokee County, which includes Centre Middle School.
$12,235
Per student
-2%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.4%
State 54.8%
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 Centre Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Rock High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Centre Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cedar Bluff High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spring Garden High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cherokee County High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Centre Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 448
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~450 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Centre Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Centre Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Cherokee County'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 Centre Middle School
How many students attend Centre Middle School?
Centre Middle School has 450 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Centre, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Centre Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Centre Middle School is 18:1, which is 2% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Centre Middle School?
65.9% of students at Centre Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Centre Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Centre Middle School is White at 84.7% of enrollment, in Centre, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Centre Middle School?
Centre 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 Centre Middle School rank among public schools in Centre?
By Resource Investment Index, Centre Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Centre, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Centre on the city page.
Is Centre Middle School a good school?
Centre Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama 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 Cherokee County?
Besides Centre Middle School, Cherokee County also operates Sand Rock High School (783 students), Centre Elementary School (665 students), and Cedar Bluff High School (623 students). See the Cherokee County 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.