Is Central Middle School a good school?

Central Middle School ranks in the bottom 9.1% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

How many students attend Central Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,708 students attended Central Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Central Middle School?

Students at Central Middle School are 89% Hispanic, 5% African American, 4% White.

What high school do graduates of Central Middle School attend?

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

Central Middle School

Summary:

Central Middle School is a public middle school located in Reading, Pennsylvania, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 1,865 students. The school is part of the Reading School District, which is ranked 558 out of 610 school districts in Pennsylvania and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Central Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-20% of Pennsylvania middle schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 810 out of 891 middle schools in the state.

Central Middle School significantly underperforms compared to the state and district averages in standardized test scores. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 4.3% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to the state average of 40.4% and the district average of 9.4%. Similarly, in PSSA English Language Arts, only 18.8% of students were proficient or better, compared to the state average of 53% and the district average of 21.3%. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as White students and Low Socioeconomic Status students, with only 1% proficient or better in PSSA Math. Central Middle School also has relatively high dropout rates, ranging from 1.4% to 5.2% over the past few years, which are significantly higher than the state average.

When comparing Central Middle School to other nearby middle schools within the Reading School District, the performance gap is significant. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Northeast Middle School had 8.3% of students proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to only 4.3% at Central Middle School. Central Middle School's performance has remained consistently low over the past decade, with little to no improvement in its state rankings or test scores, suggesting a need for a more comprehensive and sustained approach to addressing the school's challenges.

Detail:

Public 5-8

215 North 12th St
Reading, PA 19604

(484) 258-7365

District: Reading School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
810^th of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Students who attend Central Middle School usually attend:

High:

Reading Senior High School

Feeder schools for Central Middle School:

Elementary:	Millmont Elementary School
	Sixteenth & Haak Elementary School
	Tenth & Green Elementary School
	Thirteenth & Green Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.3

Number of students: 1,708

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

89.0%

African American:

5.4%

White:

4.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Compare Central Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central Middle School ranks worse than 90.9% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked middle schools in the Reading School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.13. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Central Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Reading School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (89%), African American (5.4%), White (4.4%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Middle School is 15.3, which is the highest among 5 middle schools in the Reading School District! (See more...)

Compare Central Middle School employs 111 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Central Middle School 810^th of 891 Pennsylvania 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:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Reading School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Reading School District 558^th of 610 Pennsylvania 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	PA State Percentile
2013	5.71	689^th	758	9.1%
2014	3.26	686^th	728	5.8%
2015	6.15	776^th	835	7.1%
2016	6.41	805^th	870	7.5%
2017	7.72	790^th	877	9.9%
2018	6.77	795^th	861	7.7%
2019	6.46	824^th	891	7.5%
2021	6.58	761^st	797	4.5%
2022	9.25	800^th	883	9.4%
2023	9.80	801^st	893	10.3%
2024	9.13	810^th	891	9.1%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	33.07	98^th	143	31.5%
2024	28.69	119^th	150	20.7%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.93	768^th	874	12.1%
2024	11.96	794^th	877	9.5%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania 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	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	9.30	781^st	860	9.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	19.53	591^st	660	10.5%
2024	21.20	575^th	672	14.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	9.16	804^th	870	7.6%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania 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	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	22.02	369^th	421	12.4%
2024	26.04	318^th	408	22.1%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania 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	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	19.64	311^th	362	14.1%
2024	18.82	315^th	362	13.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Central Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	10.75	643^rd	681	5.6%
2024	3.01	662^nd	673	1.6%

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

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania 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: Pennsylvania Dept 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
2010	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0
2011	171	233	13	1597	0	0	0	2014
2012	176	232	13	1519	3	0	33	1976
2013	140	266	9	1987	1	1	52	2456
2014	147	238	10	1868	2	0	39	2304
2015	138	237	9	1898	2	1	36	2321
2016	116	206	11	1907	1	0	51	2292
2017	118	188	18	1916	1	1	57	2299
2018	124	178	14	1977	1	0	66	2360
2019	74	124	5	1232	1	0	38	1474
2020	75	161	6	1736	2	0	21	2001
2021	75	166	6	1733	2	0	12	1994
2022	76	134	5	1734	2	0	18	1969
2023	92	119	2	1625	2	0	25	1865
2024	76	92	2	1520	1	0	17	1708

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
2010	0	0.0	0.0	n/a
2011	2014	124.5	16.1	88.6
2012	1976	128.0	15.4	89.2
2013	2456	146.5	16.7	90.6
2014	2304	138.2	16.6	94.9
2015	2321	136.0	17.0	99.9
2016	2292	132.0	17.3	100
2017	2299	127.0	18.1	99.9
2018	2360	151.5	15.5	100
2019	1474	90.0	16.3	100
2020	2001	122.0	16.4	99.8
2021	1994	131.0	15.2	99.8
2022	1969	128.0	15.3	99.8
2023	1865	119.8	15.5	100
2024	1708	111.0	15.3	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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	0	0.0	0.0	n/a
2011	2014	124.5	16.1	88.6
2012	1976	128.0	15.4	89.2
2013	2456	146.5	16.7	90.6
2014	2304	138.2	16.6	94.9
2015	2321	136.0	17.0	99.9
2016	2292	132.0	17.3	100
2017	2299	127.0	18.1	99.9
2018	2360	151.5	15.5	100
2019	1474	90.0	16.3	100
2020	2001	122.0	16.4	99.8
2021	1994	131.0	15.2	99.8
2022	1969	128.0	15.3	99.8
2023	1865	119.8	15.5	100
2024	1708	111.0	15.3	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	$1,038 (8.8%)	$10,770 (91.2%)	$11,808
2020	$00 (NaN)	$00 (NaN)	$00
2021	$00 (NaN)	$00 (NaN)	$00
2022	$00 (NaN)	$00 (NaN)	$00

Data source: Pennsylvania 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 824^th of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 801^st of 893 Middle schools	2.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade Math (Central Middle School)	2.9	3	0.1%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Central Middle School)	19	27.3	8.3%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Central Middle School)	18.6	24.8	6.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Central Middle School)	2.9	4.1	1.2%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Central Middle School)	19	27.3	8.3%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Central Middle School)	18.6	20.3	1.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1474	1865	26.5%
African American	124	119	4%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	5	2	60%
Hispanic	1232	1625	31.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	74	92	24.3%
Two or More Races	38	25	34.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

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)				PSSA Math (2024)					PSSA Science (2024)		PSSA English Language Arts (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	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Middle School	Public	5-8	215 North 12th St	Reading	19604	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(484) 258-7365	1,708	111	15.3	100.0%	76 (4.4%)	92 (5.4%)	1,520 (89.0%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (1.0%)	9.1	810^th of 891 public middle schools	9.1%		9.8	801^st of 893 public middle schools	10.3%	9	6.9	2.7	5.5	2.3	4.3	23.6	23.6	15.1	19.1	21.8	19.6	18.8	$00	$00	$00
Southern Middle School	Public	5-8	931 Chestnut St	Reading	19602	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5803	698	53	13.1	100.0%	25 (3.6%)	68 (9.7%)	593 (85.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.7%)	7.6	836^th of 891 public middle schools	6.2%		8.1	829^th of 893 public middle schools	7.2%	7	4.3	3.5	3.5	5.3	4.2	15.9	15.9	19.0	14.5	16.8	16.5	16.6	$00	$00	$00
Northeast Middle School	Public	5-8	1216 N 13th St	Reading	19604	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5774	922	63	14.6	100.1%	40 (4.3%)	48 (5.2%)	820 (88.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.3%)	13.1	758^th of 891 public middle schools	14.9%		13	756^th of 893 public middle schools	15.3%	2	14.4	6.6	8.0	4.3	8.3	23.1	23.1	20.9	27.7	28.8	26.1	25.8	$00	$00	$00
Southwest Middle School	Public	5-8	300 Chestnut St	Reading	19602	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5934	652	44	14.8	100.0%	33 (5.1%)	43 (6.6%)	575 (88.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	9.4	804^th of 891 public middle schools	9.8%		8.7	816^th of 893 public middle schools	8.6%	12	8.9	5.0	5.0	1.5	5.0	19.1	19.1	14.1	22.8	21.8	22.0	20.4	$00	$00	$00
Northwest Middle School	Public	5-8	1000 N Front St	Reading	19601	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5772	827	55	15.0	100.0%	37 (4.5%)	52 (6.3%)	733 (88.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	10.5	789^th of 891 public middle schools	11.4%		9	810^th of 893 public middle schools	9.3%	21	6.5	10.4	4.9	8.0	7.4	16.2	16.2	20.3	26.3	13.5	19.4	19.9	$00	$00	$00
West Reading Elementary Center	Public	5-6	421 Chestnut St	West Reading	19611	Berks County	Wyomissing Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 374-0739	293	21	13.7	42.0%	183 (62.5%)	13 (4.4%)	76 (25.9%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (4.4%)								(n/a)	50.4	52.1			51.2			61.0	64.8			63.0	$16,974	$1,159	$15,816
Exeter Township Junior High School	Public	7-8	151 E 39th St	Reading	19606	Berks County	Exeter Township School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 779-3320	636	42	15.1	42.0%	427 (67.1%)	25 (3.9%)	141 (22.2%)	10 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.2%)	69.6	256^th of 891 public middle schools	71.3%		66.9	278^th of 893 public middle schools	68.9%	22			44.7	28.4	36.4	57.8	57.8			67.4	54.3	60.7	$17,462	$461	$17,001
Reiffton School	Public	5-6	4355 Dunham Drive	Reading	19606	Berks County	Exeter Township School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 779-7640	580	39	14.8	42.2%	397 (68.4%)	22 (3.8%)	126 (21.7%)	10 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.3%)								(n/a)	46.5	49.4			48.2			63.9	57.7			60.6	$16,250	$975	$15,275
Intermediate School	Public	5-6	600 Governor Dr	Shillington	19607	Berks County	Governor Mifflin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 775-5083	609	40	15.2	99.5%	325 (53.4%)	24 (3.9%)	222 (36.5%)	11 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.4%)								(n/a)	31.6	32.8			32.2			49.3	51.3			50.3	$17,223	$640	$16,583
Muhlenberg Junior High School	Public	7-9	801 E Bellevue Ave	Reading	19605	Berks County	Muhlenberg School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 921-8034	1,006	64	15.7	100.0%	216 (21.5%)	77 (7.7%)	632 (62.8%)	14 (1.4%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	64 (6.4%)	29.2	624^th of 891 public middle schools	30.0%		25.1	650^th of 893 public middle schools	27.2%	26			22.7	16.2	19.4	37.2	37.2			35.6	32.9	34.2	$13,409	$1,573	$11,836

Central Middle School

Central Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Reading School District:

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Rank History for Central Middle School

Rank History for all students at Central Middle School

Rank History for English Language Learner 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

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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