Enrollment
578
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · St Louis, MO
R. G. Central Middle
Federal NCES profile for R. G. Central Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 292667002539
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
R. G. Central Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Missouri schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #14 of 19
- middle schools in St Louis · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 99.6%
- free-lunch eligible
R. G. Central Middle has class sizes larger than 97% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, R. G. Central Middle ranks #14 of 19 middle schools in St Louis, MO.
School address
District: Riverview Gardens · Missouri
NCES ID 292667002539 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+51% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.6%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+116% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How R. G. Central Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at R. G. Central Middle
R. G. Central Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in St Louis, Missouri, enrolling 578 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.3:1 is larger than about 97% of Missouri schools and 51% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 99.6% of students qualify for free meals, 116% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 578 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 131 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #67.
Its student body is predominantly African American (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 193 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 84.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 566 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 578 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Riverview Gardens also operates Riverview Gardens Sr. High (1,246 students) and Westview Middle School (524 students) alongside R. G. Central 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 R. G. Central Middle compares
R. G. Central 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 | 19.3:1 | ▲ 51% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.6% | ▲ 116% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 578 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
578
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 116% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 51% above state mean
Top 97% in Missouri - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
84.8%
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
$10,986
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 193 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 566 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 97.9 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
African American 97.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
White 1.2%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 97.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.7, R. G. Central Middle is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Riverview Gardens, which includes R. G. Central Middle.
$10,986
Per student
-15%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.1%
State 42.1%
Federal 22.7%
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 R. G. Central Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview Gardens Sr. High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westview Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gibson Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Meadows Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lemasters Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to R. G. Central Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,246
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 524
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 321
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 301
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
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 (~578 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on R. G. Central Middle's federal record.
- Compare R. G. Central Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Riverview Gardens'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 R. G. Central Middle
How many students attend R. G. Central Middle?
R. G. Central Middle has 578 students enrolled. It is a middle school in St Louis, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at R. G. Central Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at R. G. Central Middle is 19.3:1, which is 51% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at R. G. Central Middle?
99.6% of students at R. G. Central Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of R. G. Central Middle?
The largest demographic group at R. G. Central Middle is African American at 97.1% of enrollment, in St Louis, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for R. G. Central Middle?
R. G. Central Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 R. G. Central Middle rank among middle schools in St Louis?
By Resource Investment Index, R. G. Central Middle ranks #14 of 19 middle schools in St Louis, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in St Louis on the city page.
Is R. G. Central Middle a good school?
R. G. Central Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Missouri schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri 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 Riverview Gardens?
Besides R. G. Central Middle, Riverview Gardens also operates Riverview Gardens Sr. High (1,246 students), Westview Middle School (524 students), and Gibson Elem. (387 students). See the Riverview Gardens 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.