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Central Middle School

Public Grades 5-8

812^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 873 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Better than 7% of Pennsylvania middle schools

Summary

Central Middle School is a public middle school located in Reading, Pennsylvania, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 1,708 students. The school is part of the Reading School District, which is ranked 571 out of 606 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Central Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-20% of Pennsylvania middle schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 812 out of 873 middle schools in the state.

Central Middle School significantly underperforms compared to the state and district averages in both math and English language arts (ELA) proficiency. For the 2024-2025 school year, only 5% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 9.8% for the Reading School District and 41.7% for the state. In PSSA ELA, 15.3% of Central Middle School students were proficient or better, compared to 17.5% for the district and 48.5% for the state. The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 25% of Pennsylvania middle schools for White students, Low Socioeconomic Status students, and Disabled students in both math and ELA.

While Central Middle School is part of the same school district as several other middle schools, it consistently underperforms its peers. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, nearby schools like Northeast Middle School and Southwest Middle School had significantly higher proficiency rates in both math and ELA, with proficiency rates ranging from 8.2% to 22.8% in math and 15% to 22.8% in ELA. Central Middle School's performance has remained stagnant or even declined over the past several years, with little to no improvement in academic proficiency or other key metrics, suggesting the need for a comprehensive review and implementation of targeted interventions to address the root causes of the school's challenges and improve educational opportunities for all students.

1,785

Students ?

15.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,260

Per pupil spending ?

95.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

215 North 12th St
Reading, PA 19604

(484) 258-7365

District: Reading School District

Students who attend Central Middle School usually attend:

High:

Reading Senior High School

Feeder schools for Central Middle School:

Elementary:	Millmont Elementary School
	Sixteenth & Haak Elementary School
	Tenth & Green Elementary School
	Thirteenth & Green Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

87.8%

African American:

5.7%

White:

5.2%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 7th percentile in 2015 → 7th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Pennsylvania average (10% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!Math scores 37 pts below the Pennsylvania average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school10%

District avg14%

Pennsylvania avg45%

812^th of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Bottom 7%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Middle Schools in the Reading School District

571^st of 606Reading School District among Pennsylvania 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	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	8.7	812 of 873	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.1	810 of 891	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.8	801 of 893	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.3	800 of 883	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.6	761 of 797	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.5	824 of 891	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.8	795 of 861	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.7	790 of 877	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	6.4	805 of 870	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	6.2	776 of 835	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	3.3	686 of 728	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	5.7	689 of 758	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	31.7	264 of 393	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.0	318 of 408	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.0	369 of 421	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	19.6	586 of 643	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.2	575 of 672	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.5	591 of 660	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	30.8	108 of 145	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.7	119 of 150	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.1	98 of 143	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	8.7	774 of 835	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.3	781 of 860	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	16.3	319 of 348	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.8	315 of 362	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.6	311 of 362	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	11.0	786 of 843	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.0	794 of 877	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.9	768 of 874	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	8.8	790 of 839	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.2	804 of 870	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	4.1	641 of 649	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.0	662 of 673	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.8	643 of 681	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)33rd percentile+26 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)26th percentile+19 vs school

Disabled (2025)9th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)8th percentile~ school

Female (2025)7th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)7th percentile~ school

Male (2025)6th percentile~ school

White (2025)1st percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts15%-33 vs state

Math5%-37 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central Middle School

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSSA Math (2025)						PSSA English Language Arts (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	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Middle School	Public	5-8	215 North 12th St	Reading	19604	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(484) 258-7365	1,785	116	15.4	95.7%	93 (5.2%)	102 (5.7%)	1,567 (87.8%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (1.0%)	8.7	812^th of 873 public middle schools	7.0%		9.1	810^th of 891 public middle schools	9.1%	2		9.7	4.8	3.1	1.8	5.0		10.4	16.4	13.7	21.7	15.3	$20,260	$2,271	$17,989
Southern Middle School	Public	5-8	931 Chestnut St	Reading	19602	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5803	661	53	12.5	105.6%	28 (4.2%)	52 (7.9%)	569 (86.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.8%)	7.9	826^th of 873 public middle schools	5.4%		7.6	836^th of 891 public middle schools	6.2%	10		7.9	3.8	2.8	2.2	4.2		14.4	13.5	13.4	18.8	15.0	$21,428	$3,134	$18,294
Northeast Middle School	Public	5-8	1216 N 13th St	Reading	19604	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5774	868	67	12.9	106.3%	50 (5.8%)	35 (4.0%)	767 (88.4%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.5%)	14.4	738^th of 873 public middle schools	15.5%		13.1	758^th of 891 public middle schools	14.9%	20		13.5	9.5	5.3	4.3	8.2		13.6	29.4	20.1	27.8	22.8	$21,360	$2,390	$18,971
Southwest Middle School	Public	5-8	300 Chestnut St	Reading	19602	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5934	574	48	12.0	113.6%	29 (5.1%)	42 (7.3%)	498 (86.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	12.8	754^th of 873 public middle schools	13.6%		9.4	804^th of 891 public middle schools	9.8%	50		13.3	10.0	2.5	4.1	7.0		14.4	26.2	24.2	22.8	21.9	$22,294	$2,812	$19,482
Kerry C. Hoffman Intermediate School	Public	4-8	2310 Cumberland Ave	Mount Penn	19606	Berks County	Antietam School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 779-3547	434	38	11.4	59.7%	122 (28.1%)	30 (6.9%)	254 (58.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.0%)								(n/a)	37.0	28.9	17.7	21.8	3.3	22.7	35.6	26.5	38.0	38.5	35.0	34.4	$31,665	$3,861	$27,804
Northwest Middle School	Public	5-8	1000 N Front St	Reading	19601	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5772	821	59	13.9	100.7%	32 (3.9%)	51 (6.2%)	727 (88.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.1%)	11.3	771^st of 873 public middle schools	11.7%		10.5	789^th of 891 public middle schools	11.4%	18		3.9	8.8	8.9	4.9	6.7		9.9	20.5	20.0	14.4	16.2	$20,894	$2,551	$18,343
West Reading Elementary Center	Public	5-6	421 Chestnut St	West Reading	19611	Berks County	Wyomissing Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 374-0739	310	22	14.1	39.7%	181 (58.4%)	13 (4.2%)	91 (29.4%)	9 (2.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)								(n/a)		61.6	45.3			54.0		75.0	70.1			72.7	$18,559	$570	$17,989
Exeter Township Junior High School	Public	7-8	151 E 39th St	Reading	19606	Berks County	Exeter Township School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 779-3320	618	47	13.1	43.2%	424 (68.6%)	35 (5.7%)	125 (20.2%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.2%)	63.5	299^th of 873 public middle schools	65.8%		69.6	256^th of 891 public middle schools	71.3%	43				35.9	37.4	36.7				45.0	51.4	48.2	$13,656	$00	$13,656
Reiffton School	Public	5-6	4355 Dunham Drive	Reading	19606	Berks County	Exeter Township School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 779-7640	542	37	14.6	45.2%	362 (66.8%)	25 (4.6%)	115 (21.2%)	12 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.2%)								(n/a)		37.3	49.0			42.9		47.1	56.6			51.8	$10,696	$00	$10,696
Intermediate School	Public	5-6	600 Governor Dr	Shillington	19607	Berks County	Governor Mifflin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 775-5083	623	36	17.3	97.8%	297 (47.7%)	25 (4.0%)	245 (39.3%)	18 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.1%)								(n/a)		29.3	38.6			34.1		39.4	54.5			47.2	$15,951	$327	$15,623

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 Reading Senior High School

Is Central Middle School a good school?

Central Middle School ranks in the bottom 7.0% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Central Middle School?

Students at Central Middle School are 88% Hispanic, 6% African American, 5% White, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Central Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,785 students attended Central Middle School.

What district is Central Middle School in?

Reading School District

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Latest Pennsylvania data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesMar 29, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesMar 27, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataJan 29, 2026

2024–25 Keystone Exams & PSSA scoresNov 13, 2025

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