Enrollment
352
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chester, NJ
Black River Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Black River Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 72/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 340306004194
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 94
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Black River Middle School earns 72/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 72
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.1:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 2.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Black River Middle School has class sizes smaller than 72% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Black River Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Chester, NJ.
School address
District: Chester Township School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340306004194 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
2.0%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-93% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Black River Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Black River Middle School
Black River Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Chester, New Jersey, enrolling 352 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 2.0% free-meal eligibility runs 93% below the New Jersey average.
With 352 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 542 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #10, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 176 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Chester Township School District also operates Dickerson Elementary School (356 students) and Bragg Elementary School (297 students) alongside Black River Middle School.
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 Black River Middle School compares
Black River Middle School 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 | 10.1:1 | ▼ 14% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 2.0% | ▼ 93% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 352 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.1:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
352
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
2.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 93% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.1:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 28% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
2.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$26,248
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 176 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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
White 72.4%
Hispanic or Latino 14.8%
Asian 8.2%
Two or More 2.3%
African American 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 72.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.6, Black River Middle School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chester Township School District, which includes Black River Middle School.
$26,248
Per student
+5%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+58%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.7%
State 21.7%
Federal 5.6%
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 Black River Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dickerson Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bragg Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Black River Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 7.6:1
- Resource Index
- 70/100
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 (~352 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Black River Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Black River Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Chester Township School District'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 Black River Middle School
How many students attend Black River Middle School?
Black River Middle School has 352 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chester, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Black River Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Black River Middle School is 10.1:1, which is 14% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 36% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Black River Middle School?
2.0% of students at Black River Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Black River Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Black River Middle School is White at 72.4% of enrollment, in Chester, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Black River Middle School?
Black River Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 72/100 (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 Black River Middle School rank among public schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Black River Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Chester, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chester on the city page.
Is Black River Middle School a good school?
Black River Middle School earns 72/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of 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 Chester Township School District?
Besides Black River Middle School, Chester Township School District also operates Dickerson Elementary School (356 students) and Bragg Elementary School (297 students). See the Chester Township School District 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.