Enrollment
415
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jersey City, NJ
Academy I
Federal NCES profile for Academy I, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 340783000142
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Academy I earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of New Jersey schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Jersey schools.
- #2 of 5
- middle schools in Jersey City · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 40.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Academy I has class sizes larger than 87% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Academy I ranks #2 of 5 middle schools in Jersey City, NJ.
School address
District: Jersey City Public Schools · New Jersey
NCES ID 340783000142 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.2%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Academy I compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Academy I
Academy I is a mid-sized middle school in Jersey City, New Jersey, enrolling 415 students.
Class loads run heavy: 14.3:1 is larger than about 87% of New Jersey schools and 21% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 40.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 415 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 350 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #134.
Its student body is led by Asian (43%) and White (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 415 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Jersey City Public Schools also operates William L Dickinson High School (1,786 students) and James J Ferris High School (1,364 students) alongside Academy I.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Academy I compares
Academy I on the metrics families compare, against New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▲ 21% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.2% | ▲ 36% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 415 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
415
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 87% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$26,862
per pupil, district-wide
- above New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 415 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Asian 43.0%
White 23.4%
Hispanic or Latino 17.1%
African American 13.3%
Two or More 2.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Asian at 43.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.3, Academy I is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jersey City Public Schools, which includes Academy I.
$26,862
Per student
+8%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+62%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.5%
State 53.5%
Federal 8.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Academy I Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| William L Dickinson High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James J Ferris High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cornelia F. Bradford School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Joseph H. Brensinger School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Christa Mcauliffe School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Academy I's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,786
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,364
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,082
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 926
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 906
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~415 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Academy I's federal record.
- Compare Academy I against another school. Compare schools
- Jersey City Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Academy I
How many students attend Academy I?
Academy I has 415 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jersey City, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Academy I?
The student-teacher ratio at Academy I is 14.3:1, which is 21% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Academy I?
40.2% of students at Academy I are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Academy I?
The largest demographic group at Academy I is Asian at 43.0% of enrollment, in Jersey City, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Academy I?
Academy I has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Academy I rank among middle schools in Jersey City?
By Resource Investment Index, Academy I ranks #2 of 5 middle schools in Jersey City, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Jersey City on the city page.
Is Academy I a good school?
Academy I earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of New Jersey schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Jersey schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Jersey City Public Schools?
Besides Academy I, Jersey City Public Schools also operates William L Dickinson High School (1,786 students), James J Ferris High School (1,364 students), and Cornelia F. Bradford School (1,082 students). See the Jersey City Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.