Central Dauphin School District

600 Rutherford Rd
Harrisburg, PA 17109
(District boundaries shown in map)
5/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Central Dauphin School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Pennsylvania for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 4 public middle schools serving 2,976 students in Central Dauphin School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 4/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in Pennsylvania.
Public Middle Schools in Central Dauphin School District have an average math proficiency score of 21% (versus the Pennsylvania public middle school average of 26%), and reading proficiency score of 53% (versus the 52% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 57% of the student body (majority Black and Hispanic), which is more than the Pennsylvania public middle school average of 46% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (PA)
# Schools
19 Schools
923 Schools
# Students
12,446 Students
591,579 Students
# Teachers
848 Teachers
44,337 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

District Rank

Central Dauphin School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 675 school districts in Pennsylvania (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 89% has increased from 85% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (PA)
#366 out of 684 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Central Dauphin   School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
32%
36%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Central Dauphin   School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
55%
55%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Central Dauphin   School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
50%
57%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Central Dauphin   School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
89%
87%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Central Dauphin   School District and public school graduation rate of Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.74
0.65
# American Indian Students
29 Students
1,239 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
n/a
# Asian Students
1,921 Students
25,214 Students
% Asian Students
16%
4%
# Hispanic Students
1,662 Students
97,970 Students
% Hispanic Students
13%
17%
# Black Students
2,539 Students
118,593 Students
% Black Students
20%
20%
# White Students
5,215 Students
316,870 Students
% White Students
42%
54%
# Hawaiian Students
10 Students
586 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
1,070 Students
30,545 Students
% of Two or more races Students
9%
5%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
-
1,623
# Students in K Grade:
864
15,933
# Students in 1st Grade:
967
17,465
# Students in 2nd Grade:
993
18,204
# Students in 3rd Grade:
996
18,156
# Students in 4th Grade:
1,046
19,235
# Students in 5th Grade:
1,010
33,809
# Students in 6th Grade:
1,012
92,720
# Students in 7th Grade:
1,014
128,929
# Students in 8th Grade:
950
129,773
# Students in 9th Grade:
998
34,725
# Students in 10th Grade:
915
28,504
# Students in 11th Grade:
842
26,584
# Students in 12th Grade:
839
25,919
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $17,188 in this school district is less than the state median of $23,696. The school district revenue/student has declined by 5% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,673 is less than the state median of $23,119. The school district spending/student has declined by 5% over four school years.
This School District
This State (PA)
Total Revenue
$214 MM
$39,541 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Central Dauphin   School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$208 MM
$38,578 MM
This chart displays total spending of Central Dauphin   School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$17,188
$23,696
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Central Dauphin   School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$16,673
$23,119
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Central Dauphin   School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Central Dauphin School District Public Middle Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Central Dauphin Middle School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 65%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
4600 Locust Lane
Harrisburg, PA 17109
(717) 540-4606
Grades: 6-8
| 855 students
Rank: #22.
Linglestown Middle School
(Math: 24% | Reading: 58%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
1200 N Mountain Rd
Harrisburg, PA 17112
(717) 657-3060
Grades: 6-8
| 814 students
Rank: #33.
Central Dauphin East Middle School
(Math: 14% | Reading: 49%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
628 Rutherford Rd
Harrisburg, PA 17109
(717) 545-4709
Grades: 6-8
| 663 students
Rank: #44.
Swatara Middle School
(Math: 12% | Reading: 37%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1101 Highland St
Harrisburg, PA 17113
(717) 939-9363
Grades: 6-8
| 644 students

Recent Articles

Year-Round Or Traditional Schedule?
Year-Round Or Traditional Schedule?
Which is more appropriate for your child? A year-round attendance schedule or traditional schedule? We look at the pros and cons.
Why You Should Encourage Your Child to Join a Sports Team
Why You Should Encourage Your Child to Join a Sports Team
Participating in team sports has a great many benefits for children, there is no doubt. In this article you will learn what those benefits are.
White Students are Now the Minority in U.S. Public Schools
White Students are Now the Minority in U.S. Public Schools
Increasing birth rates among immigrant families from Asia and Central and South America, combined with lower birth rates among white families, means that for the first time in history, public school students in the United States are majority-minority. This shift in demographics poses difficulties for schools as they work to accommodate children of varying language abilities and socio-economic backgrounds.

Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 19 schools
  • Grades: KG-12
  • Enrollment: 12,446 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 58%
  • : 89% (Btm 50% in PA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 32% (Btm 50%)
  • : 55% (Top 50%)
  • : 50% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), PA Dept. of Education

Quick Links