CHARLESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL

CHARLESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL operates as an one-room-style 6-8 campus in CHARLESTON, Missouri, overseen by CHARLESTON R-I. Current enrollment sits at 141 students spanning grades 4 through 6. Compared to the state average of about 461 students per school, that is 69% smaller than typical.

CHARLESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL is one of 3 schools operated by CHARLESTON R-I, a district that hosts 727 students overall.

Looking at the student body, CHARLESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL shows that Black students make up the majority at 65%. Other groups include 24% White, 9% multiracial, 2% Hispanic. That is visibly more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 19%.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, CHARLESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL has 14 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 10.1:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.0:1, putting CHARLESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 100% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, CHARLESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 49.4%, the actual is 65.2%, a residual of +15.8 points.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Mississippi County indicate the typical household earns roughly $48,160 per year, 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 16%. In all, Mississippi County runs 7 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,730 students), of which CHARLESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL is one.

The closest other public school is WARREN E. HEARNES ELEM., roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools. On composite proficiency, CHARLESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL comes 2nd of 7 in the immediate cluster, above the nearby-schools average of 43.2%.

The campus sits in a rural setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at CHARLESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL has declined 39%, going from 231 students in 2018 to 141 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 40% to 24% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 14.0:1 in 2018 to 10.1:1 today.

On the community side, members of the CHARLESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.