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Central Middle School

Q: Is Central Middle School a good school?

Central Middle School ranks 199 th of 480 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

199^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 480 Indiana Middle Schools

Better than 59% of Indiana middle schools

Summary

Central Middle School is a public middle school in Columbus, Indiana, serving 822 students in grades 7-8. It is part of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, which is ranked 160 out of 380 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Central Middle School has maintained a consistent 3-star rating, it faces some challenges. Its chronic absenteeism rates are slightly higher than the district average, and its math proficiency rates are lower than the district and state averages. However, the school excels in biology, with proficiency rates reaching 100% in some years, significantly outpacing the district. Interestingly, when compared to nearby schools like Northside Middle School, Central Middle School performs similarly, but it lags behind schools in other districts, such as Indian Creek Middle School and Brown County Middle School.

The school's relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 43.18% to 46.47%, may be a contributing factor to its academic performance, as socioeconomic status is often correlated with educational outcomes. However, the school's spending per student has increased over the years, reaching $12,099 in 2023-2024, which is higher than the district average. Overall, Central Middle School's strengths and challenges provide a nuanced picture of its performance, and addressing areas like mathematics proficiency could help the school better serve its student population.

790

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,099

Per pupil spending ?

45.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

725 7th St
Columbus, IN 47201

(812) 376-4287

District: Bartholomew Con School Corp

Students who attend Central Middle School usually attend:

High:

Columbus North High School

Feeder schools for Central Middle School:

Elementary:	Mount Healthy Elementary School
	Southside Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.5%

Hispanic:

18.0%

Asian:

10.3%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Central Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 72nd percentile in 2015 → 59th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Indiana median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (38% vs 46% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg40%

Indiana avg46%

199^th of 480

Indiana public middle schools ?

Top 41%▼ down 14 pts since 2015

From top 28% (2015) to top 41% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Bartholomew Con School Corp

160^th of 380Bartholomew Con School Corp among Indiana 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	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	56.7	199 of 480	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.7	188 of 491	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.4	228 of 489	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.4	201 of 490	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.2	193 of 483	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.0	220 of 470	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.8	187 of 473	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.2	178 of 472	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	71.6	116 of 494	76.5%	★★★★☆
2015	69.1	134 of 485	72.4%	★★★★☆
2014	51.3	276 of 470	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	42.5	306 of 444	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	55.7	219 of 447	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	42.5	324 of 451	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	40.3	309 of 428	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	57.7	187 of 423	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	56.9	180 of 392	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	43.0	270 of 382	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	47.4	249 of 375	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2005	54.3	188 of 370	49.2%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Biology98%+53 vs state

English Language Arts38%

Math33%

★

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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)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2025)					ILEARN Math (2025)					ILEARN Science (2025)		ILEARN Social Studies (2025)	ILEARN Biology (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Middle School	Public	7-8	725 7th St	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 376-4287	790	52	15.2	45.4%	502 (63.5%)	25 (3.2%)	142 (18.0%)	81 (10.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (4.9%)	56.7	199^th of 480 public middle schools	58.5%		59.7	188^th of 491 public middle schools	61.7%	11			33.3	42.4	38.0			33.9	32.8	33.3				98.4	$12,099	$814	$11,286
Northside Middle School	Public	7-8	1400 27th St	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 376-4405	908	58	15.7	45.0%	586 (64.5%)	16 (1.8%)	240 (26.4%)	34 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (3.3%)	57.8	189^th of 480 public middle schools	60.6%		54.3	216^th of 491 public middle schools	56.0%	27			36.6	38.1	37.3			35.5	34.7	35.1				100.0	$11,987	$830	$11,157
Edinburgh Community Middle School	Public	6-8	300 S Keeley St	Edinburgh	46124	Johnson County	Edinburgh Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 526-3418	179	14	12.7	54.7%	150 (83.8%)	1 (0.6%)	21 (11.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	5 (2.8%)	29.4	344^th of 480 public middle schools	28.3%		39.3	300^th of 491 public middle schools	38.9%	44		15.9	29.8	22.9	22.6		17.5	31.6	25.0	24.4	27.0	27.0			$12,267	$1,042	$11,225
Seymour Middle School	Public	6-8	920 N O'Brien St	Seymour	47274	Jackson County	Seymour Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(812) 522-5453	778	49	15.8	60.5%	376 (48.3%)	11 (1.4%)	363 (46.7%)	7 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	19 (2.4%)	38.2	313^th of 480 public middle schools	34.8%		39.1	303^rd of 491 public middle schools	38.3%	10			27.7	32.0	29.9			31.2	19.8	25.3					$12,181	$1,400	$10,782
Brown County Middle School	Public	6-8	95 S Schoolhouse Ln	Nashville	47448	Brown County	Brown County School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 988-6605	396	27	14.9	43.2%	375 (94.7%)	4 (1.0%)	6 (1.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	39.3	307^th of 480 public middle schools	36.0%		48.6	247^th of 491 public middle schools	49.7%	60		28.8	28.7	31.0	29.5		23.9	29.4	29.7	27.8	33.6	33.6		43.3	$12,949	$1,346	$11,603
Seymour Intermediate School	Public	5-6	1000 S Poplar St.	Seymour	47274	Jackson County	Seymour Community Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(812) 525-9571	862	56	15.4	63.5%	388 (45.0%)	13 (1.5%)	423 (49.1%)	15 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.6%)								(n/a)	20.3	24.7			22.6	24.7	26.6			25.7	25.5	25.5	22.1		$7,050	$971	$6,079
Indian Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	801 W Indian Creek Dr	Trafalgar	46181	Johnson County	Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United	No	No	No	No	(317) 878-2130	503	38	13.1	30.6%	467 (92.8%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.0%)	75.3	105^th of 480 public middle schools	78.1%		57	205^th of 491 public middle schools	58.2%	100		47.2	42.6	42.8	44.2		56.5	47.3	46.4	50.0	44.1	44.1			$10,182	$164	$10,018

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 Columbus North High School

Is Central Middle School a good school?

Central Middle School ranks 199^th of 480 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 790 students attended Central Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Central Middle School?

Students at Central Middle School are 64% White, 18% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What district is Central Middle School in?

Bartholomew Con School Corp

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