Enrollment
345
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Buena, NJ
Buena Regional Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Buena Regional Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 65/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 340240000046
👥 S:T ratio 66
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buena Regional Middle School earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Buena · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.6:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 50.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Buena Regional Middle School has class sizes smaller than 89% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buena Regional Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Buena, NJ.
School address
District: Buena Regional School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340240000046 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.6:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.4%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buena Regional Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buena Regional Middle School
Buena Regional Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Buena, New Jersey, enrolling 345 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.6:1, Buena Regional Middle School is leaner than roughly 89% of New Jersey schools and 27% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 345 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 240 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #7, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 173 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
16.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 85 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 345 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Buena Regional School District also operates Buena Regional High School (491 students) and Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School (320 students) alongside Buena Regional 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 Buena Regional Middle School compares
Buena Regional 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 | 8.6:1 | ▼ 27% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.4% | ▲ 70% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 345 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.6:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
345
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% 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
8.6:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 11% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$25,507
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 173 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
44
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.6 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 53.0%
Hispanic or Latino 30.7%
African American 12.5%
Asian 1.7%
Two or More 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 53.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.9, Buena Regional Middle School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buena Regional School District, which includes Buena Regional Middle School.
$25,507
Per student
+2%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+54%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.3%
State 55.4%
Federal 9.3%
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 Buena Regional Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Regional High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Collings Lakes Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John C. Milanesi Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buena Regional Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 221
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 192
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~345 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buena Regional Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Buena Regional Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Buena Regional 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 Buena Regional Middle School
How many students attend Buena Regional Middle School?
Buena Regional Middle School has 345 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Buena, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buena Regional Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buena Regional Middle School is 8.6:1, which is 27% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 45% 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 Buena Regional Middle School?
50.4% of students at Buena Regional Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buena Regional Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Buena Regional Middle School is White at 53.0% of enrollment, in Buena, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buena Regional Middle School?
Buena Regional Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (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 Buena Regional Middle School rank among public schools in Buena?
By Resource Investment Index, Buena Regional Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Buena, 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 Buena on the city page.
Is Buena Regional Middle School a good school?
Buena Regional Middle School earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% 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 Buena Regional School District?
Besides Buena Regional Middle School, Buena Regional School District also operates Buena Regional High School (491 students), Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School (320 students), and Collings Lakes Elementary School (221 students). See the Buena Regional 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.