Enrollment
302
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Centralia, MO
Chester Boren Middle
Federal NCES profile for Chester Boren Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 290840000243
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chester Boren Middle earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Centralia · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- students per teacher
- 26.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Chester Boren Middle has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Boren Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Centralia, MO.
School address
District: Centralia R-Vi · Missouri
NCES ID 290840000243 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chester Boren Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chester Boren Middle
Chester Boren Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Centralia, Missouri, enrolling 302 students.
At 12.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Missouri median, within a few percentage points of the 12.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 302 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 391 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #75.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 302 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Centralia R-Vi spends $9,363 per pupil, 28% below the Missouri average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Centralia R-Vi also operates Centralia High (398 students) and Chance Elem. (370 students) alongside Chester Boren Middle.
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 Chester Boren Middle compares
Chester Boren Middle on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.1:1 | ▼ 5% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.0% | ▼ 44% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 302 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
302
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 42% in Missouri - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$9,363
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 302 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 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 92.1%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
Two or More 2.3%
African American 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 92.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.0, Chester Boren Middle is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Centralia R-Vi, which includes Chester Boren Middle.
$9,363
Per student
-28%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.3%
State 33.3%
Federal 13.5%
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 Chester Boren Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centralia High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chance Elem. | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centralia Intermediate | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chester Boren Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 273
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~302 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chester Boren Middle's federal record.
- Compare Chester Boren Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Centralia R-Vi'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 Chester Boren Middle
How many students attend Chester Boren Middle?
Chester Boren Middle has 302 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Centralia, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chester Boren Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Chester Boren Middle is 12.1:1, which is 5% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 23% 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 Chester Boren Middle?
26.0% of students at Chester Boren Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chester Boren Middle?
The largest demographic group at Chester Boren Middle is White at 92.1% of enrollment, in Centralia, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chester Boren Middle?
Chester Boren Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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).
How does Chester Boren Middle rank among public schools in Centralia?
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Boren Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Centralia, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Centralia on the city page.
Is Chester Boren Middle a good school?
Chester Boren Middle earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri 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 Centralia R-Vi?
Besides Chester Boren Middle, Centralia R-Vi also operates Centralia High (398 students), Chance Elem. (370 students), and Centralia Intermediate (273 students). See the Centralia R-Vi 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.