Central Middle School

Summary:

Central Middle School is a public middle school located in Kansas City, Missouri, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 428 students. The school is part of the Kansas City 33 School District, which is ranked 338 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Middle School consistently ranks among the lowest-performing middle schools in Missouri, with rankings between 445-580 out of 451-587 middle schools over the past several years. The school's performance on state assessments (MAP tests) is significantly below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 5.6% of 7th-grade students and 4% of 8th-grade students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 40.6% and 30.6% statewide, respectively. Central Middle School also has extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 47% to 82.4% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school struggles to serve its diverse student population effectively, with the school's rankings for African American, Hispanic, English Language Learner, Special Education, and Low Socioeconomic Status students among the lowest in the state.

When comparing Central Middle School to other nearby schools, the performance gap is stark. For example, Lincoln College Academy Middle, located just 1.61 miles away, consistently ranks among the top 15% of middle schools in Missouri and outperforms Central Middle School by a wide margin on state assessments. Despite the relatively high per-student spending at Central Middle School, the school's academic performance remains among the lowest in the state, suggesting that simply increasing funding may not be enough to drive meaningful improvements. Addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism and implementing targeted interventions to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students will be critical in improving outcomes at Central Middle School.

Detail:

Public 7-8

3611 East Linwood
Kansas City, MO 64128-2013

(816) 418-2100

District: Kansas City 33

SchoolDigger Rank:
445^th of 451 Missouri Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,165

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 410

Racial breakdown:

African American:

74.1%

Hispanic:

15.9%

White:

5.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Central Middle School ranks worse than 98.7% of middle schools in Missouri. It also ranks last among 3 ranked middle schools in the Kansas City 33 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.62. (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 smallest middle school student body size in the Kansas City 33 School District. Racial makeup is: African American (74.1%), Hispanic (15.9%), White (5.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Kansas City 33 School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Middle School is 11.4, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the Kansas City 33 School District! (See more...)

Compare Central Middle School employs 35.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Middle School is $17,165. 1 middle schools in the Kansas City 33 School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Central Middle School 445^th of 451 Missouri public middle schools. (See Central Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Kansas City 33:

SchoolDigger ranks Kansas City 33 338^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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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	MO State Percentile
2017	1.48	562^nd	568	1.1%
2018	1.09	549^th	552	0.5%
2019	1.61	580^th	587	1.2%
2021	3.47	450^th	454	0.9%
2022	4.72	449^th	459	2.2%
2023	4.61	452^nd	459	1.5%
2024	4.62	445^th	451	1.3%

See the entire list of Missouri Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	31.21	51^st	68	25.0%
2024	16.05	70^th	72	2.8%

See the entire list of Best Missouri 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	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	9.94	192^nd	192	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Missouri 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	MO State Percentile
2018	1.98	420^th	422	0.5%
2019	3.58	479^th	482	0.6%
2021	5.59	369^th	371	0.5%
2022	10.13	353^rd	365	3.3%
2023	7.26	376^th	382	1.6%
2024	6.84	373^rd	378	1.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	14.63	180^th	204	11.8%
2022	18.37	173^rd	187	7.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2019	10.22	145^th	149	2.7%
2021	10.25	132^nd	135	2.2%
2022	20.20	131^st	148	11.5%
2023	13.54	145^th	153	5.2%
2024	12.13	139^th	144	3.5%

See the entire list of Best Missouri 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	MO State Percentile
2022	7.58	78^th	78	0.0%
2023	13.96	73^rd	74	1.4%
2024	15.98	73^rd	74	1.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	6.17	373^rd	381	2.1%

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

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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
2015	13	234	0	18	0	0	1	266
2016	24	453	1	31	0	0	6	515
2017	19	348	1	19	1	1	7	396
2018	17	351	2	24	1	1	3	399
2019	22	363	2	25	2	1	4	419
2020	21	377	0	35	2	6	11	452
2021	28	377	1	37	0	8	14	465
2022	27	314	2	44	1	5	8	401
2023	29	333	2	58	0	1	5	428
2024	21	304	0	65	5	4	11	410

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

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	266	22.0	12.0	100
2016	515	41.0	12.5	99.4
2017	396	37.4	10.5	100
2018	399	34.6	11.5	100
2019	419	32.4	12.9	99.3
2020	452	34.5	13.0	99.3
2021	465	33.0	14.0	99.4
2022	401	31.0	12.9	99.3
2023	428	31.6	13.5	99.3
2024	410	35.8	11.4	100

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

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	266	22.0	12.0	100
2016	515	41.0	12.5	99.4
2017	396	37.4	10.5	100
2018	399	34.6	11.5	100
2019	419	32.4	12.9	99.3
2020	452	34.5	13.0	99.3
2021	465	33.0	14.0	99.4
2022	401	31.0	12.9	99.3
2023	428	31.6	13.5	99.3
2024	410	35.8	11.4	100

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	$1,204 (7.9%)	$14,102 (92.1%)	$15,306
2020	$1,246 (9.2%)	$12,334 (90.8%)	$13,580
2021	$1,744 (12.2%)	$12,512 (87.8%)	$14,256
2022	$2,832 (16.5%)	$14,334 (83.5%)	$17,165

Data source: Missouri 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 580^th of 587 Middle schools	Ranks 452^nd of 459 Middle schools	0.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Mathematics (Central Middle School)	4.9	5	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Kansas City 33)	12.8	22.3	9.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	38	39.5	1.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Central Middle School)	9.9	6.4	3.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas City 33)	21.1	20.2	0.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	43.6	37.3	6.3%
8th Grade Science (Central Middle School)	9.1	7.2	1.9%
8th Grade Science (Kansas City 33)	24.8	18.3	6.5%
8th Grade Science (Missouri)	43.7	37.8	5.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	419	428	2.1%
African American	363	333	8.3%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	2	2
Hispanic	25	58	132%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	22	29	31.8%
Two or More Races	4	5	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.3%	99.3%	0%

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)				MAP Mathematics (2024)				MAP Science (2024)		MAP English Language Arts (2024)				MAP Algebra 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	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Middle School	Public	7-8	3611 East Linwood	Kansas City	64128	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 418-2100	410	36	11.4	100.0%	21 (5.1%)	304 (74.1%)	65 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	4 (1.0%)	11 (2.7%)	4.6	445^th of 451 public middle schools	1.3%		4.6	452^nd of 459 public middle schools	1.5%	7			5.6	4.0		5.1			7.0	8.8		$17,165	$2,832	$14,334
Lincoln College Academy Middle	Public	6-8	2012 E 23rd Street	Kansas City	64127	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	No	No	No	(816) 418-1500	578	33	17.4	100.0%	168 (29.1%)	216 (37.4%)	138 (23.9%)	29 (5.0%)	4 (0.7%)	4 (0.7%)	19 (3.3%)	84.4	46^th of 451 public middle schools	89.8%		82.3	54^th of 459 public middle schools	88.2%	8		56.1	51.3			48.1		54.7	45.7	62.4	85.8	$15,385	$2,855	$12,530
Kansas City Girls Prep Middle	Public, Charter	5-8	5000 E.17th St.	Kansas City	64127	Jackson County	Kansas City Girls Prep Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 268-2573	135	22	6.1	100.0%	9 (6.7%)	91 (67.4%)	29 (21.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.2%)	22.7	361^st of 451 public middle schools	20.0%		22.4	372^nd of 459 public middle schools	19.0%	11	4.0	18.8	21.1	32.7	12.0	21.0	20.0	19.5	14.0	18.7		$26,025	$9,207	$16,819
Academie Lafayette Armour IMS	Public, Charter	6-8	201 E Armour Blvd	Kansas City	64111	Jackson County	Academie Lafayette	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 800-8771	273	14	19.8	16.5%	176 (64.5%)	33 (12.1%)	22 (8.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (14.7%)	91.9	27^th of 451 public middle schools	94.0%		89.5	32^nd of 459 public middle schools	93.0%	5		68.7	45.8			74.6		64.2		86.6	92.0	$13,702	$516	$13,185
Middle School	Public, Charter	5-8	3435 Broadway Blvd	Kansas City	64111	Jackson County	Citizens Of The World Charter	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 499-8000	135	10	12.9	69.6%	27 (20.0%)	65 (48.1%)	32 (23.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.7%)	18	388^th of 451 public middle schools	14.0%		23.3	367^th of 459 public middle schools	20.0%	21	26.5	12.0	13.9	16.7	30.5	25.0	30.6	28.0	11.2			$11,251	$981	$10,270
Northeast Middle School	Public	7-8	4904 Independence Avenue	Kansas City	64124	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 418-3400	557	44	12.7	100.0%	47 (8.4%)	228 (40.9%)	220 (39.5%)	45 (8.1%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.9%)	11 (2.0%)	4.7	444^th of 451 public middle schools	1.6%		5.2	447^th of 459 public middle schools	2.6%	3			6.2	3.2		6.1			6.6	9.2		$17,753	$2,921	$14,832
Allen Village Junior Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	706 W 42nd St.	Kansas City	64111	Jackson County	Allen Village	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 931-0177	101	8	13.2	92.1%	6 (5.9%)	27 (26.7%)	63 (62.4%)	4 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	24.2	354^th of 451 public middle schools	21.5%		42.7	269^th of 459 public middle schools	41.4%	85		22.7	27.4	13.2		23.8		9.8	30.4			$17,636	$1,984	$15,652
Guadalupe Centers Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	2640 Belleview Street	Kansas City	64108	Jackson County	Guadalupe Centers Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 472-4120	354	33	10.7	99.2%	5 (1.4%)	3 (0.8%)	345 (97.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8.8	427^th of 451 public middle schools	5.3%		18.2	391^st of 459 public middle schools	14.8%	36		11.7	14.3	13.4		9.8		6.3	13.3	12.6		$17,009	$2,059	$14,950
Frontier School Of Excellence-M	Public, Charter	6-8	5605 Troost Ave.	Kansas City	64110	Jackson County	Frontier Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 822-1331	73	14	5.2	100.0%	1 (1.4%)	40 (54.8%)	29 (39.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.1%)	12.7	411^th of 451 public middle schools	8.9%		21.5	376^th of 459 public middle schools	18.1%	35			16.3	19.6		11.2			3.6	13.9		$15,324	$2,167	$13,157
Brookside Charter Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	1815 East 63rd Street	Kansas City	64130	Jackson County	Brookside Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 531-2192	205	23	9.0	100.0%	2 (1.0%)	168 (82.0%)	10 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	24 (11.7%)	20.2	372^nd of 451 public middle schools	17.5%		32.1	324^th of 459 public middle schools	29.4%	48		17.0	22.1	23.3		7.4		18.5	24.9			$15,582	$4,147	$11,434

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Middle School

Is Central Middle School a good school?

Central Middle School ranks in the bottom 1.3% of Missouri middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Central Middle School?

Students at Central Middle School are 74% African American, 16% Hispanic, 5% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

What district is Central Middle School in?

Kansas City 33

How many students attend Central Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 410 students attended Central Middle School.

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