Enrollment
513
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Paterson, NJ
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex
Federal NCES profile for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 341269005916
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #8 of 12
- schools in Paterson · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.7:1
- students per teacher
- 58.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex ranks #8 of 12 schools in Paterson, NJ.
School address
District: Paterson Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341269005916 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.4%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+97% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Paterson, New Jersey, enrolling 513 students.
At 11.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New Jersey median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 58.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 513 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 297 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #286, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 513 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Paterson's public schools, it stands alongside College Achieve Paterson Charter School (1,688 students): Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 24.8:1).
Paterson Public School District also operates Eastside High School (2,073 students) and John F. Kennedy High School (1,846 students) alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex.
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 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex compares
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 1% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.4% | ▲ 97% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 513 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
513
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 97% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 56% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
52.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$23,944
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 513 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 71.2%
African American 25.3%
Asian 2.1%
White 1.2%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.8, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paterson Public School District, which includes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex.
$23,944
Per student
-4%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.8%
State 79.8%
Federal 11.3%
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 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastside High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John F. Kennedy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Joseph a. Taub School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| School 16 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| School 5 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,073
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 813
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar other schools in Paterson
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~513 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex's federal record.
- Compare Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex against another school. Compare schools
- Paterson 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 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex
How many students attend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex has 513 students enrolled. It is a public school in Paterson, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex is 11.7:1, which is 1% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 25% 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 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex?
58.4% of students at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex?
The largest demographic group at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex is Hispanic or Latino at 71.2% of enrollment, in Paterson, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower 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 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex rank among schools in Paterson?
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex ranks #8 of 12 schools in Paterson, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Paterson on the city page.
Is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex a good school?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex earns 21/100 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 Paterson Public School District?
Besides Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex, Paterson Public School District also operates Eastside High School (2,073 students), John F. Kennedy High School (1,846 students), and Joseph a. Taub School (976 students). See the Paterson 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.