Is Central Middle School a good school?

Central Middle School ranks 78 th of 449 Louisiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,163 students attended Central Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Central Middle School?

Students at Central Middle School are 66% White, 22% African American, 8% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Central Middle School attend?

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

Central Middle School

Summary:

Central Middle School is a public middle school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 1,163 students. The school is part of the East Baton Rouge Parish school district, which is ranked 9th out of 122 districts in Louisiana and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Middle School consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Louisiana, performing significantly better than the state average on LEAP assessments in both Mathematics and English Language Arts across all grade levels. In 2023-2024, 76% of Central Middle School students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 59% statewide, and 82% were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 69% statewide. This high academic performance is notable, as the school maintains excellence over an extended period, ranking in the top 25% of Louisiana middle schools for the past decade. Additionally, Central Middle School's diverse student population, with 66.04% White, 21.84% African American, and 7.74% Hispanic students, stands out compared to many nearby schools that have much higher concentrations of either African American or White students.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Capitol Middle School, Park Forest Middle School, and Baker Middle School, Central Middle School stands out as a high-performing institution, significantly outperforming many of its counterparts on LEAP assessments. This highlights the importance of factors beyond just student demographics, such as school leadership, teacher quality, and instructional practices, in driving student success. As Central Middle School continues to navigate changes in its student demographics, including an increase in the percentage of economically disadvantaged students, it will be important to monitor its ability to maintain its excellence and identify strategies to support all students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and with special needs.

Detail:

Public 6-8

12656 Sullivan Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70818

(225) 261-2237

District: Central Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
78^th of 449 Louisiana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,565

Students who attend Central Middle School usually attend:

High:

Central High School

Feeder schools for Central Middle School:

Elementary:	Bellingrath Hills Elementary School
	Central Intermediate School
	Tanglewood Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.1

Number of students: 1,163

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.0%

African American:

21.8%

Hispanic:

7.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 53.1%

See top rated Louisiana middle schools

Compare Central Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central Middle School ranks better than 82.6% of middle schools in Louisiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 80.13. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (66%), African American (21.8%), Hispanic (7.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 53.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Middle School is 18.1. (See more...)

Compare Central Middle School employs 64 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Middle School is $11,565.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Central Middle School 78^th of 449 Louisiana public middle schools. (See Central Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Central Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Central Community School District 9^th of 122 Louisiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Central Middle School.

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Your rating for Central Middle School?

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Rank History for Central Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2008	54.41	209^th	413	49.4%
2009	60.74	188^th	425	55.8%
2010	70.17	119^th	408	70.8%
2011	67.05	137^th	412	66.7%
2012	74.27	106^th	442	76.0%
2013	83.20	48^th	457	89.5%
2014	81.56	65^th	470	86.2%
2015	79.77	76^th	482	84.2%
2016	82.99	58^th	435	86.7%
2017	82.08	62^nd	437	85.8%
2018	77.46	61^st	411	85.2%
2019	83.34	63^rd	449	86.0%
2021	77.63	93^rd	459	79.7%
2022	76.65	94^th	460	79.6%
2023	75.23	101^st	465	78.3%
2024	80.13	78^th	449	82.6%

See the entire list of Louisiana Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2018	83.98	6^th	33	81.8%
2019	78.57	9^th	49	81.6%
2021	55.03	24^th	57	57.9%
2022	58.47	20^th	58	65.5%
2023	57.54	27^th	63	57.1%
2024	68.49	7^th	39	82.1%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	18.02	34^th	38	10.5%
2021	42.68	28^th	55	49.1%
2022	55.84	17^th	48	64.6%
2023	40.64	34^th	56	39.3%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	69.03	39^th	202	80.7%
2021	67.80	47^th	210	77.6%
2022	55.50	65^th	206	68.4%
2023	53.42	74^th	206	64.1%
2024	70.81	38^th	175	78.3%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2018	79.52	59^th	403	85.4%
2019	76.97	89^th	430	79.3%
2021	68.00	127^th	455	72.1%
2022	69.15	119^th	458	74.0%
2023	67.23	128^th	459	72.1%
2024	73.24	102^nd	444	77.0%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	80.45	69^th	418	83.5%
2021	82.08	60^th	441	86.4%
2022	79.47	73^rd	441	83.4%
2023	77.18	85^th	444	80.9%
2024	78.66	78^th	415	81.2%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	66.83	33^rd	170	80.6%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	82.52	62^nd	418	85.2%
2021	70.39	126^th	442	71.5%
2022	73.47	103^rd	442	76.7%
2023	71.33	116^th	443	73.8%
2024	80.43	70^th	426	83.6%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2018	79.73	42^nd	313	86.6%
2019	78.58	55^th	338	83.7%
2021	71.39	64^th	352	81.8%
2022	75.23	53^rd	360	85.3%
2023	65.56	87^th	360	75.8%
2024	75.11	61^st	333	81.7%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2018	51.51	60^th	118	49.2%
2019	36.72	90^th	128	29.7%
2021	46.54	84^th	153	45.1%
2022	44.67	95^th	163	41.7%
2023	41.66	102^nd	163	37.4%
2024	51.82	74^th	152	51.3%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2018	84.47	35^th	338	89.6%
2019	81.59	39^th	350	88.9%
2021	72.86	85^th	358	76.3%
2022	70.53	94^th	362	74.0%
2023	71.75	82^nd	352	76.7%
2024	75.46	57^th	320	82.2%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Louisiana Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Louisiana Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Friday, May 8, 2020

THIS IS THE BEST SCHOOL IN BATON ROUGE!! Teachers are incredibly kind and offering to their students and other staff. The environment is great, using the 1:1 Program for laptop use for the students. Big school and big learning opportunities. They have electives such as, IBCA, Art, Spanish, Band, Crafts/Cooking Class (I forgot the name of it). This is an amazing school and I would definitely enroll your child into this school. Close Quote

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
2008	530	157	3	9	1	n/a	n/a	700
2009	600	163	5	11	2	n/a	n/a	781
2010	632	159	7	20	2	n/a	n/a	820
2011	676	177	8	22	5	0	3	891
2012	694	184	4	24	4	0	0	910
2013	696	202	4	26	6	0	5	939
2014	688	214	7	27	6	0	7	949
2015	741	206	13	23	5	2	6	996
2016	785	197	13	27	3	2	11	1038
2017	777	193	11	38	5	2	21	1047
2018	780	189	9	59	6	0	26	1069
2019	783	215	10	60	5	0	30	1103
2020	826	228	9	69	4	0	27	1163
2021	799	252	11	76	1	0	30	1169
2022	793	231	10	86	1	0	27	1148
2023	768	254	12	90	1	0	38	1163

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
2008	700	39.0	17.9	46.4
2009	781	54.3	14.4	44
2010	820	56.2	14.5	49
2011	891	59.8	14.8	48.5
2012	910	56.6	16.0	51.8
2013	939	56.6	16.5	55.1
2014	949	60.3	15.7	54.3
2015	996	63.0	15.8	51.4
2016	1038	70.0	14.8	51.6
2017	1047	65.0	16.1	100
2018	1069	62.5	17.1	19
2019	1103	62.0	17.7	35
2020	1163	60.5	19.2	40.4
2021	1169	63.0	18.5	29.7
2022	1148	57.0	20.1	33.9
2023	1163	64.0	18.1	53.1

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
2008	700	39.0	17.9	46.4
2009	781	54.3	14.4	44
2010	820	56.2	14.5	49
2011	891	59.8	14.8	48.5
2012	910	56.6	16.0	51.8
2013	939	56.6	16.5	55.1
2014	949	60.3	15.7	54.3
2015	996	63.0	15.8	51.4
2016	1038	70.0	14.8	51.6
2017	1047	65.0	16.1	100
2018	1069	62.5	17.1	19
2019	1103	62.0	17.7	35
2020	1163	60.5	19.2	40.4
2021	1169	63.0	18.5	29.7
2022	1148	57.0	20.1	33.9
2023	1163	64.0	18.1	53.1

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	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$10,152
2018	$10,221
2019	$9,996
2020	$9,872
2021	$10,997
2022	$11,565

Data source: Louisiana 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 63^rd of 449 Middle schools	Ranks 101^st of 465 Middle schools	7.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Central Middle School)	85	78	7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Central Community School District)	85	78	7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Louisiana)	61	57	4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Central Middle School)	80	82	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Central Community School District)	80	82	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Louisiana)	67	68	1%
6th Grade Social Studies (Central Middle School)	69	47	22%
6th Grade Social Studies (Central Community School District)	69	47	22%
6th Grade Social Studies (Louisiana)	51	42	9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Central Middle School)	82	84	2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Central Community School District)	82	84	2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Louisiana)	72	67	5%
7th Grade Social Studies (Central Middle School)	74	62	12%
7th Grade Social Studies (Central Community School District)	74	62	12%
7th Grade Social Studies (Louisiana)	55	52	3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Central Middle School)	84	66	18%
8th Grade Mathematics (Central Community School District)	84	66	18%
8th Grade Mathematics (Louisiana)	53	47	6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Central Middle School)	85	77	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Central Community School District)	85	77	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Louisiana)	71	70	1%
8th Grade Social Studies (Central Middle School)	80	62	18%
8th Grade Social Studies (Central Community School District)	80	62	18%
8th Grade Social Studies (Louisiana)	64	53	11%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1103	1163	5.4%
African American	215	254	18.1%
American Indian	5	1	80%
Asian	10	12	20%
Hispanic	60	90	50%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	783	768	1.9%
Two or More Races	30	38	26.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	35%	53.1%	18.1%

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)				LEAP Mathematics (2024)					LEAP English Language Arts (2024)				LEAP Algebra I (2024)	LEAP English I (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	LEAP Mathematics 5th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 6th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 7th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 8th Grade	LEAP Mathematics All Grades	LEAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts All Grades	LEAP Algebra I End of Course	LEAP English I End of Course	Total
Central Middle School	Public	6-8	12656 Sullivan Road	Baton Rouge	70818	East Baton Rouge Parish	Central Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(225) 261-2237	1,163	64	18.1	53.1%	768 (66.0%)	254 (21.8%)	90 (7.7%)	12 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (3.3%)	80.1	78^th of 449 public middle schools	82.6%		75.2	101^st of 465 public middle schools	78.3%	23		77.0	81.0	66.0	76.0	87.0	80.0	78.0	82.0		100.0	$11,565
Live Oak Junior High	Public	7-8	35086 HWY 16 Spur	Watson	70786	Livingston Parish	Livingston Parish	No	No	No	No	(225) 667-4195	745	35	21.2	57.3%	601 (80.7%)	75 (10.1%)	51 (6.8%)	4 (0.5%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.2%)	77.6	96^th of 449 public middle schools	78.6%		78.8	79^th of 465 public middle schools	83.0%	17			71.0	59.0	66.0		84.0	88.0	86.0	100.0		$9,938
Live Oak Middle School	Public	5-6	8444 Cecil Drive	Watson	70706	Livingston Parish	Livingston Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(225) 664-3211	687	30	22.7	58.2%	560 (81.5%)	63 (9.2%)	45 (6.6%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.0%)								(n/a)	75.0	76.0			75.0	80.0						$9,991
Baker Middle School	Public	6-8	5905 Groom Rd	Baker	70714	East Baton Rouge Parish	City of Baker School District	No	No	No	Yes	(225) 775-5924	176	11	15.8	57.4%	2 (1.1%)	156 (88.6%)	17 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)								(n/a)						43.0		29.0	32.0			$19,121
Park Forest Middle School	Public	6-8	3760 Aletha Drive	Baton Rouge	70814	East Baton Rouge Parish	East Baton Rouge Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(225) 275-6650	582	36	16.0	77.8%	15 (2.6%)	433 (74.4%)	125 (21.5%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	4.4	435^th of 449 public middle schools	3.1%		6.4	441^st of 465 public middle schools	5.2%	6						34.0	45.0	36.0	37.0			$17,278
Zion City School A Redesign School	Public, Charter	6-8	5959 Cadillac Street	Baton Rouge	70816	East Baton Rouge Parish	Glen Oaks Middle School (Redesign Schools LA)	Yes	No	No	Yes	(225) 771-8128	86	8	11.1	91.9%	0 (0.0%)	83 (96.5%)	3 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Helix Aviation Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	4400 Airpark Blvd	Baton Rouge	70807	East Baton Rouge Parish	East Baton Rouge Parish	Yes	No	No	(n/a)	(225) 773-4925	112	11	10.6	90.2%	4 (3.6%)	108 (96.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48.1	248^th of 449 public middle schools	44.8%					(n/a)		55.0	41.0	45.0	46.0	93.0	65.0		77.0			$17,205
Denham Springs Junior High School	Public	6-8	401 Hatchell Lane	Denham Springs	70726	Livingston Parish	Livingston Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(225) 665-8898	892	43	20.6	67.0%	552 (61.9%)	135 (15.1%)	171 (19.2%)	8 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	23 (2.6%)	74.4	114^th of 449 public middle schools	74.6%		71.6	121^st of 465 public middle schools	74.0%	7		73.0	68.0	63.0	69.0	82.0	80.0	78.0	80.0			$10,298
Scotlandville Pre-Engineering Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	9147 Elm Grove Garden	Baton Rouge	70807	East Baton Rouge Parish	East Baton Rouge Parish	No	Yes	No	Yes	(225) 775-0776	189	16	12.0	87.8%	0 (0.0%)	184 (97.4%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	56	204^th of 449 public middle schools	54.6%		57.2	198^th of 465 public middle schools	57.4%	6		43.0	61.0	55.0	52.0	70.0	84.0			95.0		$20,549
Sherwood Middle Academic Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	1020 Marlbrook Dr	Baton Rouge	70815	East Baton Rouge Parish	East Baton Rouge Parish	No	Yes	No	Yes	(225) 272-3090	770	42	18.3	47.5%	229 (29.7%)	311 (40.4%)	74 (9.6%)	138 (17.9%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	14 (1.8%)	95.8	10^th of 449 public middle schools	97.8%		96.5	9^th of 465 public middle schools	98.1%	1		88.0		89.0	91.0		100.0	99.0	99.0			$13,221

Central Middle School

Central Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Central Community School District:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Central Middle School

Rank History for all students at Central Middle School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Central Middle School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Central Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Central Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Central Middle School

Rank History for Disabled students at Central Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Central Middle School

Rank History for African American students at Central Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central Middle School

Rank History for White students at Central Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Central Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Central Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Central Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Central Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Central Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Central Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Middle School

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