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Central Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

329^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 4% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

Central Middle School is a public middle school located in Waterloo, Iowa, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 466 students. The school is part of the Waterloo Community School District, which is ranked 287 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Middle School faces several key challenges. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.6% to 50.2% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average. Academically, the school's performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better on the ISASP tests, is consistently lower than the Waterloo district and the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of 8th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts at Central Middle School was 64%, compared to 69.3% for the Waterloo district and 80.2% for the state. Additionally, Central Middle School has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 83.3% to 85.35% over the past few years, indicating a high concentration of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

When comparing Central Middle School to other middle schools in the Waterloo district, such as Bunger Middle School and George Washington Carver Academy, the academic performance gaps are evident, with Central Middle School consistently underperforming. However, the nearby Hoover Middle School, which is also part of the Waterloo district, performs significantly better than Central Middle School across all subject areas and grade levels. Examining middle schools in higher-performing districts, such as Jesup Community School District, Denver Community School District, and Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District, reveals a stark contrast in academic achievement, with these schools consistently outperforming Central Middle School and the Waterloo district.

469

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,022

Per pupil spending ?

85.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1350 Katoski Dr
Waterloo, IA 50701

(319) 433-2100

District: Waterloo Community School District

Students who attend Central Middle School usually attend:

High:

West High School

Feeder schools for Central Middle School:

Elementary:	Fred Becker Elementary School
	Irving Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

34.1%

White:

26.0%

Hispanic:

14.9%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Central Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 3rd percentile in 2015 → 4th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (50% vs 74% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (50% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg61%

Iowa avg74%

329^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Bottom 4%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Middle Schools in the Waterloo Community School District

287^th of 313Waterloo Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	3.7	329 of 344	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.3	330 of 337	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.9	317 of 334	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.1	316 of 337	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.6	299 of 324	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.7	320 of 342	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.5	302 of 318	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.4	302 of 327	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	3.4	337 of 343	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	4.3	337 of 349	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	6.4	326 of 337	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	11.9	334 of 350	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	12.2	338 of 349	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts51%-25 vs state

Mathematics49%-24 vs state

Science48%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)					ISASP Mathematics (2025)					ISASP Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Middle School	Public	6-8	1350 Katoski Dr	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2100	469	35	13.3	85.1%	122 (26.0%)	160 (34.1%)	70 (14.9%)	18 (3.8%)	2 (0.4%)	39 (8.3%)	58 (12.4%)	3.7	329^th of 344 public middle schools	4.4%		2.3	330^th of 337 public middle schools	2.1%	1		39.6	53.6	64.0			47.5	50.4	48.4			48.4	$16,022	$901	$15,120
Peet Junior High School	Public	7-9	525 E Seerley Blvd	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 553-2710	695	49	14.1	20.3%	568 (81.7%)	29 (4.2%)	18 (2.6%)	33 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.9%)	41 (5.9%)	78.6	36^th of 344 public middle schools	89.5%		76.3	54^th of 337 public middle schools	84.0%	18			85.0	93.7	87.3			83.8	83.8	79.5		82.4	$12,622	$245	$12,377
Hoover Middle School	Public	6-8	630 Hillcrest Rd	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 433-2830	848	57	14.9	56.3%	452 (53.3%)	168 (19.8%)	79 (9.3%)	48 (5.7%)	1 (0.1%)	19 (2.2%)	81 (9.6%)	43.2	238^th of 344 public middle schools	30.8%		42.2	226^th of 337 public middle schools	32.9%	12		72.6	72.9	76.7			73.9	71.4	72.2			69.3	$12,322	$288	$12,033
George Washington Carver Academy	Public	6-8	1505 Logan Ave	Waterloo	50703	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2500	455	33	13.6	90.5%	54 (11.9%)	216 (47.5%)	91 (20.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (8.8%)	53 (11.6%)	5.7	325^th of 344 public middle schools	5.5%		3.8	324^th of 337 public middle schools	3.9%	1		47.4	48.4	61.1			51.1	42.6	61.5			51.7	$14,466	$860	$13,605
Holmes Junior High School	Public	7-9	505 Holmes Dr	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 553-2650	628	47	13.4	25.2%	513 (81.7%)	31 (4.9%)	21 (3.3%)	18 (2.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.8%)	77.1	42^nd of 344 public middle schools	87.8%		79.6	38^th of 337 public middle schools	88.7%	4			89.5	89.1	94.2			84.5	84.6	87.4		78.6	$13,002	$245	$12,757
Bunger Middle School	Public	6-8	157 S Roosevelt Rd	Evansdale	50707	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 433-2550	440	35	12.5	74.5%	186 (42.3%)	81 (18.4%)	103 (23.4%)	7 (1.6%)	3 (0.7%)	20 (4.5%)	40 (9.1%)	13.9	310^th of 344 public middle schools	9.9%		17.8	301^st of 337 public middle schools	10.7%	9		41.3	57.7	70.3			41.3	64.1	64.4			59.3	$14,500	$895	$13,604
Dike-New Hartford Junior High School	Public	6-8	508 Beaver	New Hartford	50660	Butler County	Dike-New Hartford Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 983-2206	210	11	18.3	22.9%	195 (92.9%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.4%)	77	43^rd of 344 public middle schools	87.5%					(n/a)		78.9	89.3	94.4			70.2	80.0	93.1			91.7	$12,362	$276	$12,086
Denver Middle School	Public	6-8	800 Longview Drive	Denver	50622	Bremer County	Denver Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 984-6041	238	12	20.2	13.0%	228 (95.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	92.9	1^st of 344 public middle schools	99.7%		90.4	4^th of 337 public middle schools	98.8%	3		94.7	96.7	95.8			90.7	93.5	95.8			95.8	$9,191	$24	$9,168
Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School	Public	5-8	501 Heritage Way	Waverly	50677	Bremer County	Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 352-3632	681	49	13.8	24.8%	620 (91.0%)	13 (1.9%)	15 (2.2%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.8%)	75.1	55^th of 344 public middle schools	84.0%		77.9	44^th of 337 public middle schools	86.9%	11	74.8	82.8	82.1	88.1		88.1	86.1	84.9	84.7		70.4	80.2	$11,433	$283	$11,149
Jesup Middle School	Public	5-8	531 Prospect	Jesup	50648	Buchanan County	Jesup Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 827-1700	249	18	14.0	22.1%	241 (96.8%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	73.4	63^rd of 344 public middle schools	81.7%		66.8	108^th of 337 public middle schools	68.0%	45	75.4	80.7	77.8	92.7		73.8	77.2	81.9	90.7		73.8	89.1	$9,239	$118	$9,121

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Middle School

What high school do graduates of Central Middle School attend?

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

How many students attend Central Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 469 students attended Central Middle School.

Is Central Middle School a good school?

Central Middle School ranks in the bottom 4.4% of Iowa middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Central Middle School?

Students at Central Middle School are 34% African American, 26% White, 15% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 8% Pacific Islander, 4% Asian.

What district is Central Middle School in?

Waterloo Community School District

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