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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WATERLOO COMM SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 193048002024

Central Middle School

1350 Katoski Dr, Waterloo, IA 50701 · (319) 433-2100 · Black Hawk County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL469 STUDENTS
Enrollment
469
Middle
DISTRICT 553 · STATE 400
Student : Teacher
13.3:1
35 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.6:1 · STATE 15.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
85%
399 students
DISTRICT 73% · STATE 41%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Grade 618038%
Grade 713930%
Grade 815032%
Student demographics
77%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 74% · STATE 48% · US 70%
White
12226%
DISTRICT 38% · STATE 70% · US 43%
Hispanic
7015%
DISTRICT 14% · STATE 14% · US 30%
Black
16034%
DISTRICT 29% · STATE 7% · US 15%
Asian
184%
DISTRICT 3% · STATE 2% · US 6%
Two+
5812%
DISTRICT 11% · STATE 5% · US 5%
Native American
20%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 0% · US 1%
Pacific Islander
398%
DISTRICT 4% · STATE 1% · US 0%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
24252%
Female
22748%

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Test scores

ISASP 2024-25 . % Proficient
English Language Arts
51.3%
IA avg 73.6% . +1.8pp since 2023
Math
48.7%
IA avg 70.9% . +3.4pp since 2023

What this means: On the ISASP, Iowa's statewide test, about 51 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 49 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Iowa schools, those numbers are about 74 and 71. Reading and writing scores are up about 2 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 3 points.

ISASP results by year

School yearEnglish Language ArtsMath
2024-2551.3%48.7%
2023-2449.5%45.3%
% Proficient, all students and all tested grades.
Source: ISASP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Demographically-adjusted score · methodology
Tier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
47.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
49.4%
based on IA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-1.9pp
below demographic expectation

What this means: About 48% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% typical for Iowa schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Iowa's top nor bottom 10%.

BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →

Schools most like Central Middle School

Central Middle School's state test result (47.5% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.

SchoolStudentsLow-incomeProficient
Central Middle School this school46985.1%47.5%
Callanan Middle School
Des Moines
55379.9%50.0%
Wilson Middle School
Cedar Rapids
42278.0%44.2%
Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy
Cedar Rapids
48471.1%53.1%
George Washington Carver Academy
Waterloo
45590.5%49.8%
Frank L Smart Middle School
Davenport
43068.8%30.9%
Matched among Iowa middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.

Where Central Middle School ranks

Among middle schools
MeasureThis schoolIn IowaIn Black Hawk County
State test proficiency
ranked highest first
47.5%#214 of 224#6 of 6
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
48.7%#209 of 224
▲ 4
#6 of 6
no change
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
51.3%#215 of 224
▲ 3
#6 of 6
no change
Enrollment
ranked largest first
469#76 of 246#4 of 6
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
13.3:1#49 of 180#2 of 6
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
77.0%#2 of 180#1 of 6
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
85.1%#6 of 237#2 of 6
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.

4-year change

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
469
-26 (-5%) vs 2020
-31% since 1990-91, when it was 680
Student : Teacher
13.3:1
was 13.8:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-2546935.113.3:185% (399)
2023-2446633.813.8:185% (394)
2022-2347135.113.4:185% (402)
2020-214953613.8:182% (407)
2017-1846940.611.6:162% (293)
2015-164924411.2:184% (414)
2010-114913912.6:177% (377)
2000-018024219.1:163% (508)
1990-916805013.6:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Central Middle School.

Since 2017-18: students unchanged (469 to 469); teachers down 13% (40.6 to 35.1).

About Central Middle School

Central Middle School is a mid-sized middle school with its address in Waterloo, Iowa. Total enrollment is 469 students, and the grades served are 6 through 8.

Waterloo Comm School District enrolls 10,484 students in 18 schools, including Central Middle School.

The largest racial or ethnic group at Central Middle School is Black, with 34% of students. The next largest groups are 26% White, 15% Hispanic, 12% multiracial, and 8% Pacific Islander. The school's Black share is 25 points above the 9% share among Black Hawk County residents. The diversity index for Central Middle School is 77%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.

There are 35.1 full-time-equivalent teachers at Central Middle School, giving a ratio of 13.3:1. By comparison, the average for middle schools in Iowa is 15.2:1. A total of 399 students, or 85%, are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The gap from the 52% average for public schools in Black Hawk County is 33 points.

When test results are adjusted for free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, Central Middle School is 1.9 points below its prediction. Actual: 47.5%. Predicted: 49.4%.

In Black Hawk County, home to about 131,049 people, median household income comes to about $66,417, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 30%, and about 9% of people live in poverty. Black Hawk County's 35 public schools enroll about 18,224 students and include Central Middle School.

Straight-line distance to the nearest public school, Fred Becker Elementary School, is about 0.6 miles. Other public schools within five miles: at least 8. Compared with its nearest neighbors, Central Middle School ranks 9th of 9 on average proficiency.

NCES lists the school's locale as City: Small. That means it sits inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.

Enrollment was 469 in 2024-25. In 2020-21, it was 495.

On allk12, people connected to Central Middle School can post about special education services, counseling, and support programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.

Black Hawk County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
131,049
Census ACS
Median income
$66,417
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
30%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
35
18,224 students

Quick facts

School name
Central Middle School
District
Waterloo Comm School District
Address
1350 Katoski Dr, Waterloo, IA 50701
Phone
(319) 433-2100
County
Black Hawk County
Level
Middle
Grade range
06–08
Total enrollment
469
Teachers (FTE)
35
Student–teacher ratio
13.3:1
Free and reduced lunch
399 (85%)
Locale
13-City: Small
NCES ID
193048002024
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Waterloo Comm School District
Other schools in Waterloo
Other Central Middle schools

49 other US public schools in 25 states are named Central Middle. Central Middle School is the 31st largest of the 50.

Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Central Middle School
How large is Central Middle School?
Central Middle School enrolls approximately 469 students in grades 06-08.
Is Central Middle School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Central Middle School is a middle school covering grades 06-08.
How many students per teacher at Central Middle School?
Approximately 13.3:1 students per teacher at Central Middle School.
How diverse is Central Middle School?
Central Middle School reports a student body of 26% White, 15% Hispanic, 34% Black, 4% Asian, 12% Two or more.
Is Central Middle School public or private?
Central Middle School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Waterloo Comm School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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