Central Middle School

Summary:

Central Middle School is a public middle school located in Waterloo, Iowa, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 471 students. The school is part of the Waterloo Community School District, which is ranked 293 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Middle School consistently performs below the Waterloo Community School District and the state of Iowa averages in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test scores for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts ranged from 48.9% to 50.4%, compared to the district's 59.7% to 63% and the state's 74.5% to 77.5%. The school has been ranked among the lowest-performing middle schools in Iowa, consistently ranking in the bottom 10-15% of all middle schools in the state over the past several years. In the 2023-2024 school year, it ranked 330 out of 337 Iowa middle schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Middle School has an exceptionally high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 82.22% to 85.35% over the past three school years. This is significantly higher than the nearby schools, such as Hoover Middle School (58.89%) and Jesup Middle School (15.81%). The data reveals a stark contrast between Central Middle School and the surrounding schools, both in terms of academic performance and student demographics. Schools like Hoover Middle School, Jesup Middle School, and Denver Middle School consistently outperform Central Middle School on standardized tests.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1350 Katoski Dr
Waterloo, IA 50701

(319) 433-2100

District: Waterloo Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
330^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,022

Students who attend Central Middle School usually attend:

High:

West High School

Feeder schools for Central Middle School:

Elementary:	Fred Becker Elementary School
	Irving Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 471

Racial breakdown:

African American:

36.1%

White:

25.7%

Hispanic:

16.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Central Middle School ranks worse than 97.9% of middle schools in Iowa. It also ranks last among 4 ranked middle schools in the Waterloo Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.26. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Central Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Waterloo Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Middle School is $16,022, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Waterloo Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Central Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Central Middle School 330^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Central Middle School in the ranking list.)

Waterloo Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterloo Community School District 293^rd of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Central Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	12.18	338^th	349	3.2%
2013	11.93	334^th	350	4.6%
2014	6.38	326^th	337	3.3%
2015	4.27	337^th	349	3.4%
2016	3.37	337^th	343	1.7%
2017	11.40	302^nd	327	7.6%
2018	7.48	302^nd	318	5.0%
2019	10.74	320^th	342	6.4%
2021	9.62	299^th	324	7.7%
2022	9.10	316^th	337	6.2%
2023	5.87	317^th	334	5.1%
2024	2.26	330^th	337	2.1%

See the entire list of Iowa Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Central Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	547	136	17	1	0	n/a	n/a	701
1990	518	174	11	2	0	n/a	n/a	705
1991	490	178	10	2	0	n/a	n/a	680
1992	463	217	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	688
1993	456	255	6	0	1	n/a	n/a	718
1994	394	242	10	3	1	n/a	n/a	650
1995	361	218	5	1	2	n/a	n/a	587
1996	361	218	5	1	2	n/a	n/a	587
1997	372	223	6	6	5	n/a	n/a	612
1998	351	212	5	7	1	n/a	n/a	576
1999	367	217	6	11	0	n/a	n/a	601
2000	543	213	8	20	1	n/a	n/a	785
2001	543	218	7	32	2	n/a	n/a	802
2002	528	242	6	25	5	n/a	n/a	806
2003	528	242	6	25	5	n/a	n/a	806
2004	513	228	7	32	3	n/a	n/a	783
2005	482	269	6	44	2	n/a	n/a	803
2006	428	255	5	51	1	n/a	n/a	740
2007	299	226	4	47	1	n/a	n/a	577
2008	283	179	6	55	2	n/a	n/a	525
2009	279	193	3	61	4	n/a	n/a	540
2010	293	174	4	53	3	1	16	544
2011	258	141	3	59	2	2	26	491
2012	234	158	8	64	5	1	33	503
2013	203	191	7	62	7	3	26	499
2014	197	190	13	70	3	8	23	504
2015	205	185	18	67	2	12	24	513
2016	196	168	20	63	3	13	29	492
2017	185	177	24	71	2	11	44	514
2018	161	178	16	59	2	13	40	469
2019	145	184	20	70	1	17	43	480
2020	153	185	23	67	2	18	48	496
2021	161	179	22	61	2	20	50	495
2022	137	169	27	64	1	33	48	479
2023	121	170	21	76	1	39	43	471

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Central Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	701	4.1	170.9	33.1
1990	705	51.9	13.5	0
1991	680	50.9	13.3	35.7
1992	688	48.0	14.3	40.7
1993	718	53.8	13.3	42.6
1994	650	44.4	14.6	46
1995	587	46.8	12.5	52.3
1996	587	46.8	12.5	52.3
1997	612	30.7	19.9	50
1998	576	30.0	19.2	51.2
1999	601	33.0	18.2	66.7
2000	785	19.0	41.3	60.1
2001	802	42.9	18.7	63.3
2002	806	83.9	9.6	62.9
2003	806	83.9	9.6	62.9
2004	783	60.5	12.9	66.4
2005	803	59.7	13.5	53.9
2006	740	60.0	12.3	48
2007	577	46.8	12.3	66.6
2008	525	42.0	12.5	61.9
2009	540	41.1	13.1	67.6
2010	544	46.0	11.8	68.9
2011	491	39.0	12.5	76.8
2012	503	39.8	12.6	78.5
2013	499	44.8	11.1	80.6
2014	504	43.0	11.7	82.3
2015	513	46.0	11.1	83.2
2016	492	45.0	10.9	84.1
2017	514	44.1	11.6	86.4
2018	469	40.5	11.5	62.5
2019	480	41.1	11.6	77.9
2020	496	37.4	13.2	83.5
2021	495	36.0	13.7	82.2
2022	479	35.1	13.6	83.3
2023	471	35.1	13.4	85.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Central Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	701	4.1	170.9	33.1
1990	705	51.9	13.5	0
1991	680	50.9	13.3	35.7
1992	688	48.0	14.3	40.7
1993	718	53.8	13.3	42.6
1994	650	44.4	14.6	46
1995	587	46.8	12.5	52.3
1996	587	46.8	12.5	52.3
1997	612	30.7	19.9	50
1998	576	30.0	19.2	51.2
1999	601	33.0	18.2	66.7
2000	785	19.0	41.3	60.1
2001	802	42.9	18.7	63.3
2002	806	83.9	9.6	62.9
2003	806	83.9	9.6	62.9
2004	783	60.5	12.9	66.4
2005	803	59.7	13.5	53.9
2006	740	60.0	12.3	48
2007	577	46.8	12.3	66.6
2008	525	42.0	12.5	61.9
2009	540	41.1	13.1	67.6
2010	544	46.0	11.8	68.9
2011	491	39.0	12.5	76.8
2012	503	39.8	12.6	78.5
2013	499	44.8	11.1	80.6
2014	504	43.0	11.7	82.3
2015	513	46.0	11.1	83.2
2016	492	45.0	10.9	84.1
2017	514	44.1	11.6	86.4
2018	469	40.5	11.5	62.5
2019	480	41.1	11.6	77.9
2020	496	37.4	13.2	83.5
2021	495	36.0	13.7	82.2
2022	479	35.1	13.6	83.3
2023	471	35.1	13.4	85.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Central Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$901 (5.6%)	$15,120 (94.4%)	$16,022

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Central Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 320^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 317^th of 334 Middle schools	1.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Central Middle School)	41	45.3	4.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo Community School District)	50.3	54.9	4.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Central Middle School)	53.5	49.6	3.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Waterloo Community School District)	53.2	60.1	6.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Central Middle School)	46.1	53.8	7.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo Community School District)	53.9	62.4	8.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Central Middle School)	51.1	49	2.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Waterloo Community School District)	57.5	57.6	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Central Middle School)	55.6	52.1	3.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo Community School District)	58	63	5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Central Middle School)	61.7	56.3	5.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Waterloo Community School District)	65.3	61.6	3.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.8	72	0.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	480	471	1.9%
African American	184	170	7.6%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	20	21	5%
Hispanic	70	76	8.6%
Pacific Islander	17	39	129.4%
White	145	121	16.6%
Two or More Races	43	43
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	77.9%	85.4%	7.4%

Schools Near Central Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)					ISASP Mathematics (2024)					ISASP Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Middle School	Public	6-8	1350 Katoski Dr	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2100	471	35	13.4	85.4%	121 (25.7%)	170 (36.1%)	76 (16.1%)	21 (4.5%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (8.3%)	43 (9.1%)	2.3	330^th of 337 public middle schools	2.1%		5.9	317^th of 334 public middle schools	5.1%	13		49.3	48.9	50.4			48.6	41.8	45.4			35.5	$16,022	$901	$15,120
Peet Junior High School	Public	7-9	525 E Seerley Blvd	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 553-2710	670	49	13.6	26.6%	552 (82.4%)	36 (5.4%)	14 (2.1%)	25 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.9%)	36 (5.4%)	76.3	54^th of 337 public middle schools	84.0%		79.4	41^st of 334 public middle schools	87.7%	13			91.0	89.2	88.5			83.4	80.6	85.4		71.0	$12,622	$245	$12,377
Hoover Middle School	Public	6-8	630 Hillcrest Rd	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 433-2830	883	57	15.5	58.9%	487 (55.2%)	184 (20.8%)	72 (8.2%)	48 (5.4%)	2 (0.2%)	18 (2.0%)	72 (8.2%)	42.2	226^th of 337 public middle schools	32.9%		37.4	238^th of 334 public middle schools	28.7%	12		71.2	72.5	76.1			74.7	64.8	77.6			59.8	$12,322	$288	$12,033
George Washington Carver Academy	Public	6-8	1505 Logan Ave	Waterloo	50703	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2500	442	35	12.6	91.0%	69 (15.6%)	194 (43.9%)	100 (22.6%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (6.3%)	47 (10.6%)	3.8	324^th of 337 public middle schools	3.9%		5	319^th of 334 public middle schools	4.5%	5		50.4	56.1	49.3			48.9	43.9	54.5			35.8	$14,466	$860	$13,605
Holmes Junior High School	Public	7-9	505 Holmes Dr	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 553-2650	639	47	13.6	28.2%	539 (84.4%)	25 (3.9%)	18 (2.8%)	15 (2.3%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	37 (5.8%)	79.6	38^th of 337 public middle schools	88.7%		75.3	59^th of 334 public middle schools	82.3%	21			86.8	88.4	86.5			82.4	87.0	84.5		77.7	$13,002	$245	$12,757
Bunger Middle School	Public	6-8	157 S Roosevelt Rd	Evansdale	50707	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 433-2550	431	36	11.8	75.4%	224 (52.0%)	79 (18.3%)	62 (14.4%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.0%)	47 (10.9%)	17.8	301^st of 337 public middle schools	10.7%		26.3	277^th of 334 public middle schools	17.1%	24		55.8	52.3	68.9			61.3	59.4	66.7			54.1	$14,500	$895	$13,604
Dike-New Hartford Junior High School	Public	6-8	508 Beaver	New Hartford	50660	Butler County	Dike-New Hartford Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 983-2206	215	11	18.8	15.8%	204 (94.9%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (1.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.3%)								(n/a)													$12,362	$276	$12,086
Denver Middle School	Public	6-8	800 Longview Drive	Denver	50622	Bremer County	Denver Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 984-6041	207	10	21.0	14.5%	199 (96.1%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	90.4	4^th of 337 public middle schools	98.8%		92.4	1^st of 334 public middle schools	99.7%	3		97.6	95.8	90.3			95.2	90.1	91.9			79.0	$9,191	$24	$9,168
Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School	Public	5-8	501 Heritage Way	Waverly	50677	Bremer County	Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 352-3632	699	52	13.5	22.0%	632 (90.4%)	17 (2.4%)	25 (3.6%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.9%)	77.9	44^th of 337 public middle schools	86.9%		81	32^nd of 334 public middle schools	90.4%	12	72.6	84.1	88.2	87.4		84.7	86.6	77.5	83.5		73.2	82.4	$11,433	$283	$11,149
Jesup Middle School	Public	5-8	531 Prospect	Jesup	50648	Buchanan County	Jesup Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 827-1700	252	16	15.9	20.6%	243 (96.4%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	66.8	108^th of 337 public middle schools	68.0%		80.9	33^rd of 334 public middle schools	90.1%	75	88.7	76.3	94.5	82.5		84.9	72.4	85.5	86.0		73.6	68.4	$9,239	$118	$9,121

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Middle School

What high school do graduates of Central Middle School attend?

Students who attend Central Middle School usually go on to attend West High School

How many students attend Central Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 471 students attended Central Middle School.

Is Central Middle School a good school?

Central Middle School ranks in the bottom 2.1% of Iowa middle schools.

What district is Central Middle School in?

Waterloo Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Central Middle School?

Students at Central Middle School are 36% African American, 26% White, 16% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 8% Pacific Islander, 4% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.