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Central Middle

Q: Is Central Middle a good school?

Central Middle ranks 194 th of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

194^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 546 Minnesota Middle Schools

Better than 64% of Minnesota middle schools

Summary

Central Middle is a 6th–8th grade middle school serving 216 students in the small town of Norwood Young America, Minnesota, about an hour southwest of the Twin Cities, as part of the Central Public School District. The school ranks 194th of 546 Minnesota middle schools in 2025–2026 — the 64th percentile, with 3 stars. That is a stable, above-average profile: it has earned 3 stars in most of the past decade, with 4-star years in 2015–2016 and 2018–2019. About 27% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student-teacher ratio is 15.9, slightly better than the nearby average.

Reading is the school's clear academic strength, with 55.3% of students proficient — above the state's 48.6% and in line with the district. Math and science are weaker. Math proficiency is 35%, about 10 points below the state and 12.6 points below the district, and 7th grade math (28.8%) is the lowest among nearby middle schools. Science is the biggest concern: 12.2% proficiency, down from 28.4% three years ago and below the state, district, and nearby schools.

Comparisons with nearby schools are informative. Jordan Middle sits in a district with nearly identical rank and a similar free-lunch rate (26.1% vs. 27.3%), yet posts 5 stars with 49.7% math and 25.9% science. Watertown-Mayer Middle has similar demographics and reaches 58% math and 25.6% science. Central does show real progress in serving some groups: special education students rose from the 12th percentile with 1 star to the 61st percentile with 3 stars, and low-income students improved from the 49th percentile to the 67th. Central's own 3-star rank, however, trails its 4-star district.

216

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,965

Per pupil spending ?

27.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

531 Morse St
Norwood Young America, MN 55368-0247

(952) 467-7000

District: Central Public School District

Students who attend Central Middle usually attend:

High:

Central Senior High

Feeder schools for Central Middle:

Elementary:

Central Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.8%

Two or more races:

7.4%

Hispanic:

6.9%

See top rated Minnesota middle schools

Compare Central Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 74th percentile in 2016 → 64th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Minnesota median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 13 pts below the Minnesota average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg46%

Minnesota avg43%

194^th of 546

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Top 36%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From top 26% (2016) to top 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

125^th of 458Central Public School District among Minnesota 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	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	60.6	194 of 546	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.5	164 of 519	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.3	193 of 545	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.5	172 of 529	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.8	173 of 520	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.0	223 of 521	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.9	149 of 533	72.0%	★★★★☆
2018	65.2	170 of 518	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	64.9	178 of 523	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	70.4	134 of 508	73.6%	★★★★☆
2015	68.7	143 of 516	72.3%	★★★★☆
2014	58.4	208 of 490	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.5	160 of 488	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	59.8	209 of 469	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	54.5	235 of 478	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.4	151 of 454	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.7	84 of 230	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.5	144 of 409	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	59.6	170 of 403	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	54.3	223 of 406	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	51.0	247 of 396	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	68.5	144 of 387	62.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	58.8	181 of 467	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.4	186 of 450	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.4	200 of 474	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.9	167 of 455	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.4	183 of 467	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.5	204 of 443	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.0	131 of 439	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	70.1	116 of 436	73.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	59.6	152 of 458	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.4	147 of 432	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.5	242 of 473	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	73.0	78 of 459	83.0%	★★★★☆
2021	65.6	86 of 399	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	56.9	165 of 415	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.8	124 of 401	69.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	55.9	193 of 483	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.1	139 of 452	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	180 of 479	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.2	166 of 464	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.4	170 of 476	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.5	210 of 437	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.6	152 of 454	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.3	212 of 438	51.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	55.0	115 of 296	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.5	131 of 265	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	20.7	269 of 307	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	55.9	111 of 298	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.0	32 of 282	88.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	43.2	246 of 435	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.5	221 of 415	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.4	244 of 440	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.6	227 of 436	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.4	215 of 438	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.3	235 of 422	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.5	171 of 428	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.9	185 of 428	56.8%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)67th percentile~ school

Female (2026)61st percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2026)61st percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)60th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)43rd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading55%+7 vs state

Math35%-10 vs state

Science12%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)					MCA-IV Science (2026)			MCA-III Math (2026)					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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-IV Reading 5th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 6th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 7th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 8th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science 8th Grade	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Central Middle	Public	6-8	531 Morse St	Norwood Young America	55368	Carver County	Central Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 467-7000	216	14	15.9	27.3%	181 (83.8%)	4 (1.9%)	15 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.4%)	60.6	194^th of 546 public middle schools	64.5%		63.5	164^th of 519 public middle schools	68.4%	30		61.4	45.2	59.5	55.3		12.2	12.2		35.7	28.8	40.5	35.0	$9,965
Waconia Middle School	Public	6-8	1400 Community Dr	Waconia	55387	Carver County	Waconia Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 442-0650	885	61	14.4	14.1%	763 (86.2%)	21 (2.4%)	47 (5.3%)	9 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (4.9%)	89.7	32^nd of 546 public middle schools	94.1%		89.8	31^st of 519 public middle schools	94.0%	1		68.2	55.0	66.8	63.7		22.9	22.9		59.7	66.4	67.4	64.4	$11,159
GSL Junior High School	Public	7-8	1621 16th St E	Glencoe	55336	McLeod County	Glencoe-Silver Lake School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 864-2456	224	14	16.3	27.7%	160 (71.4%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (24.6%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.7%)	40.4	333^rd of 546 public middle schools	39.0%		50.9	249^th of 519 public middle schools	52.0%	84			34.9	38.7	36.8		8.5	8.5			35.2	30.2	32.7	$8,253
SWWC Alternative Learning Center Midlevel - Glencoe	Public	7-8	2391 Hennepin Ave N	Glencoe	55336	McLeod County	Region 6 and 8-SW/Wc Service Coop	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(507) 360-1876	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Belle Plaine Junior High	Public	7-8	220 S Market St	Belle Plaine	56011	Scott County	Belle Plaine Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 873-2403	255	13	20.1	22.0%	216 (84.7%)	3 (1.2%)	18 (7.1%)	4 (1.6%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.7%)	64.4	171^st of 546 public middle schools	68.7%		70	134^th of 519 public middle schools	74.2%	37			40.2	54.8	48.2		13.7	13.7			50.5	41.9	45.8	$7,440
Sibley East Middle School	Public	6-8	202 3rd Avenue NW	Arlington	55307	Sibley County	Sibley East School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 964-2292	248	12	19.8	44.4%	153 (61.7%)	3 (1.2%)	77 (31.0%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.8%)	58.8	207^th of 546 public middle schools	62.1%		61.8	176^th of 519 public middle schools	66.1%	31		61.0	57.0	49.2	56.3		6.5	6.5		24.4	40.3	40.3	34.4	$10,673
Watertown-Mayer Middle	Public	5-8	1001 Highway 25 NW	Watertown	55388	Carver County	Watertown-Mayer Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 955-0400	418	27	15.5	25.6%	387 (92.6%)	5 (1.2%)	13 (3.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.6%)	80.5	69^th of 546 public middle schools	87.4%		89.6	32^nd of 519 public middle schools	93.8%	37	68.4	69.5	57.5	63.2	64.3	42.6	11.5	25.6	69.5	55.2	52.9	56.3	58.0	$8,458
Jordan Middle	Public	5-8	500 Sunset Dr	Jordan	55352	Scott County	Jordan Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 492-2332	528	35	14.9	26.1%	392 (74.2%)	22 (4.2%)	59 (11.2%)	8 (1.5%)	7 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	38 (7.2%)	85	53^rd of 546 public middle schools	90.3%		80.3	75^th of 519 public middle schools	85.5%	22	51.2	61.8	57.4	62.8	58.3	23.0	28.7	25.9	41.8	48.8	53.1	54.5	49.7	$9,546
Chaska Middle School West	Public	6-8	140 Engler Blvd	Chaska	55318	Carver County	Eastern Carver County Public School	No	No	No	No	(952) 556-7400	615	41	15.1	15.6%	456 (74.1%)	21 (3.4%)	85 (13.8%)	25 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.4%)	92	23^rd of 546 public middle schools	95.8%		90.9	28^th of 519 public middle schools	94.6%	5		73.1	63.6	63.5	66.9		25.2	25.2		61.3	61.6	71.0	64.7	$14,775
Chaska Middle School East	Public	6-8	1600 Park Ridge Drive	Chaska	55318	Carver County	Eastern Carver County Public School	No	No	No	No	(952) 556-7600	608	35	17.2	11.8%	519 (85.4%)	11 (1.8%)	27 (4.4%)	13 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.1%)	85.7	48^th of 546 public middle schools	91.2%		87.2	42^nd of 519 public middle schools	91.9%	6		67.1	54.9	63.6	61.9		17.0	17.0		57.9	59.5	72.4	63.5	$12,522

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Middle

Is Central Middle a good school?

Central Middle ranks 194^th of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Central Middle in?

Central Public School District

What high school do graduates of Central Middle attend?

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

What is the racial makeup of Central Middle?

Students at Central Middle are 84% White, 7% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 2% African American.

How many students attend Central Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 216 students attended Central Middle.

Rate Central Middle!

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MNMinnesota Middle School Rankings

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Schools in Norwood Young America, MN

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2024–25 through 2025–26 MCA-III & MCA-IV test scoresNewSep 30, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 8, 2025

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