Enrollment
299
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Clayton, NJ
Clayton Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Clayton 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 340318002502
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 80
📋 Attendance 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clayton Middle School earns 72/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes larger than 75% of New Jersey schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Clayton · Resource Index
- 72
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 41.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Clayton Middle School has class sizes larger than 75% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clayton Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Clayton, NJ.
School address
District: Clayton Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340318002502 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.5%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clayton Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clayton Middle School
Clayton Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Clayton, New Jersey, enrolling 299 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 41.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 299 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
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 247 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and African American (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 100 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Clayton Public School District also operates Herma S. Simmons Elementary School (715 students) and Clayton High School (431 students) alongside Clayton 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 Clayton Middle School compares
Clayton 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 | 13:1 | ▲ 10% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.5% | ▲ 40% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 299 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
299
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
4.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$21,790
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 100 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 38.5%
African American 28.1%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
Two or More 11.7%
Asian 1.7%
Largest group: White at 38.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.8, Clayton 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 Clayton Public School District, which includes Clayton Middle School.
$21,790
Per student
-13%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.9%
State 57.7%
Federal 12.4%
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 Clayton Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herma S. Simmons Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clayton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clayton Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- 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 (~299 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clayton Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Clayton Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Clayton 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 Clayton Middle School
How many students attend Clayton Middle School?
Clayton Middle School has 299 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Clayton, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clayton Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Clayton Middle School is 13:1, which is 10% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Clayton Middle School?
41.5% of students at Clayton Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Clayton Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Clayton Middle School is White at 38.5% of enrollment, in Clayton, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clayton Middle School?
Clayton 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 Clayton Middle School rank among public schools in Clayton?
By Resource Investment Index, Clayton Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Clayton, 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 Clayton on the city page.
Is Clayton Middle School a good school?
Clayton Middle School earns 72/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes larger than 75% 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 Clayton Public School District?
Besides Clayton Middle School, Clayton Public School District also operates Herma S. Simmons Elementary School (715 students) and Clayton High School (431 students). See the Clayton Public 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.