Enrollment
618
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Upper Montclair, NJ
Buzz Aldrin Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Buzz Aldrin Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 341056002178
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buzz Aldrin Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Upper Montclair · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.7:1
- students per teacher
- 9.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Buzz Aldrin Middle School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buzz Aldrin Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Upper Montclair, NJ.
School address
District: Montclair Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341056002178 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.5%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buzz Aldrin Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buzz Aldrin Middle School
Buzz Aldrin Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, enrolling 618 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 9.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 618 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 572 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #396.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 309 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Montclair Public School District also operates Montclair High School (1,925 students) and Hillside Elementary School (684 students) alongside Buzz Aldrin 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 Buzz Aldrin Middle School compares
Buzz Aldrin 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 | 10.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.5% | ▼ 68% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 618 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
618
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 40% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$27,254
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 309 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.2 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 51.4%
Hispanic or Latino 14.7%
African American 14.6%
Two or More 11.7%
Asian 7.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 51.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.4, Buzz Aldrin Middle School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montclair Public School District, which includes Buzz Aldrin Middle School.
$27,254
Per student
+9%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+64%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.1%
State 23.9%
Federal 6.0%
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 Buzz Aldrin Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montclair High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillside Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glenfield Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Charles H. Bullock School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Watchung Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buzz Aldrin Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,925
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 684
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 406
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~618 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buzz Aldrin Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Buzz Aldrin Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Montclair Public 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 Buzz Aldrin Middle School
How many students attend Buzz Aldrin Middle School?
Buzz Aldrin Middle School has 618 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Upper Montclair, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buzz Aldrin Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buzz Aldrin Middle School is 10.7:1, which is 9% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 32% 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 Buzz Aldrin Middle School?
9.5% of students at Buzz Aldrin Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buzz Aldrin Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Buzz Aldrin Middle School is White at 51.4% of enrollment, in Upper Montclair, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buzz Aldrin Middle School?
Buzz Aldrin Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Buzz Aldrin Middle School rank among public schools in Upper Montclair?
By Resource Investment Index, Buzz Aldrin Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Upper Montclair, 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 Upper Montclair on the city page.
Is Buzz Aldrin Middle School a good school?
Buzz Aldrin Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median. 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 Montclair Public School District?
Besides Buzz Aldrin Middle School, Montclair Public School District also operates Montclair High School (1,925 students), Hillside Elementary School (684 students), and Glenfield Middle School (512 students). See the Montclair Public School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in New Jersey
All public schools in New Jersey
Montclair Public School District
All schools in this district
Schools in Upper Montclair
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.