Enrollment
169
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Stronghurst, IL
West Central Middle School
Federal NCES profile for West Central Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 170031905598
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Central Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Illinois schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.1:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 169
- students enrolled
West Central Middle School has class sizes smaller than 70% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: West Central Cusd 235 · Illinois
NCES ID 170031905598 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Central Middle School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Central Middle School
West Central Middle School is a small middle school in Stronghurst, Illinois, enrolling 169 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 169 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 72 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 169 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
West Central Cusd 235 also operates West Central Elementary School (321 students) and West Central High School (212 students) alongside West 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 West Central Middle School compares
West Central Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.1:1 | ▼ 14% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 169 | top 87% | - | - |
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.
169
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 30% in Illinois - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.6%
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
$14,808
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 42.6 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
White 94.1%
Two or More 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 94.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.3, West Central Middle School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Central Cusd 235, which includes West Central Middle School.
$14,808
Per student
-13%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.1%
State 35.3%
Federal 6.7%
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 West Central Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Central Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Central High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Central Early Childhood | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Central Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 321
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 212
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 50
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~169 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Central Middle School's federal record.
- Compare West Central Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- West Central Cusd 235'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 West Central Middle School
How many students attend West Central Middle School?
West Central Middle School has 169 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Stronghurst, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Central Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Central Middle School is 12.1:1, which is 14% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 23% lower 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 West Central Middle School?
The largest demographic group at West Central Middle School is White at 94.1% of enrollment, in Stronghurst, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Central Middle School?
West Central Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is West Central Middle School a good school?
West Central Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Illinois schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois 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 West Central Cusd 235?
Besides West Central Middle School, West Central Cusd 235 also operates West Central Elementary School (321 students), West Central High School (212 students), and West Central Early Childhood (50 students). See the West Central Cusd 235 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.