Enrollment
568
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Gulfport, MS
Gulfport Central Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Gulfport Central Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280171000272
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gulfport Central Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #3 of 13
- public schools in Gulfport · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Gulfport Central Middle School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gulfport Central Middle School ranks #3 of 13 public schools in Gulfport, MS.
School address
District: Gulfport School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280171000272 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gulfport Central Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gulfport Central Middle School
Gulfport Central Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Gulfport, Mississippi, enrolling 568 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 568 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 199 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #33.
Its student body is led by African American (76%) and White (11%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 189 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 219 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 568 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Gulfport's middle schools, it stands alongside West Harrison Middle School (650 students): Gulfport Central Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.3:1 vs 17.6:1).
Gulfport School Dist also operates Gulfport High School (1,702 students) and Bayou View Middle School (827 students) alongside Gulfport 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 Gulfport Central Middle School compares
Gulfport Central Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.3:1 | ▼ 8% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 568 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
568
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 34% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.3%
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
$10,227
per pupil, district-wide
- below Mississippi avg of $11,990
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 189 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
62
in-school suspensions + 157 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 38.6 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
African American 76.1%
White 10.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Two or More 4.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 76.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.1, Gulfport Central Middle School is about as mixed as the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gulfport School Dist, which includes Gulfport Central Middle School.
$10,227
Per student
-15%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.9%
State 38.6%
Federal 24.5%
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 Gulfport Central Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bayou View Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bayou View Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Anniston Avenue Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gulfport Central Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,702
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 827
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 638
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 492
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle schools in Gulfport
1 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 Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~568 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gulfport Central Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Gulfport Central Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Gulfport School Dist'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 Gulfport Central Middle School
How many students attend Gulfport Central Middle School?
Gulfport Central Middle School has 568 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Gulfport, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gulfport Central Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gulfport Central Middle School is 12.3:1, which is 8% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 22% 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 Gulfport Central Middle School?
100.0% of students at Gulfport Central Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gulfport Central Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Gulfport Central Middle School is African American at 76.1% of enrollment, in Gulfport, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gulfport Central Middle School?
Gulfport Central Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Gulfport Central Middle School rank among public schools in Gulfport?
By Resource Investment Index, Gulfport Central Middle School ranks #3 of 13 public schools in Gulfport, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Gulfport on the city page.
Is Gulfport Central Middle School a good school?
Gulfport Central Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi 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 Gulfport School Dist?
Besides Gulfport Central Middle School, Gulfport School Dist also operates Gulfport High School (1,702 students), Bayou View Middle School (827 students), and Bayou View Elementary School (638 students). See the Gulfport School Dist 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.