Enrollment
544
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Atlantic City, NJ
Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex
Federal NCES profile for Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 340096000032
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 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 School Complex earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #8 of 9
- schools in Atlantic City · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.9:1
- students per teacher
- 88.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Dr Martin Luther King Jr School 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 School Complex ranks #8 of 9 schools in Atlantic City, NJ.
School address
District: Atlantic City School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340096000032 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.4%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+199% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex
Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Atlantic City, New Jersey, enrolling 544 students.
At 10.9:1, 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 is high: 88.4% of students qualify for free meals, 199% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 544 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Against 87 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #61.
Its student body is led by African American (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 544 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 151 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 544 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Atlantic City's public schools, it stands alongside Sovereign Avenue School (717 students): Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (10.9:1 vs 10.5:1).
Atlantic City School District also operates Atlantic City High School (1,731 students) and Sovereign Avenue School (717 students) alongside Dr Martin Luther King Jr School 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 School Complex compares
Dr Martin Luther King Jr School 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 | 10.9:1 | ▼ 8% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.4% | ▲ 199% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 544 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.9:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
544
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 199% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.9:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 42% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
50.0%
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
$28,787
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 544 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 112 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.8 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
African American 66.5%
Hispanic or Latino 28.5%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 1.5%
White 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 66.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.5, Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Atlantic City School District, which includes Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex.
$28,787
Per student
+15%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+73%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.5%
State 53.8%
Federal 8.6%
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 Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sovereign Avenue School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Richmond Avenue School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pennsylvania Ave School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| New York Avenue School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,731
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 609
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Atlantic City
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Sovereign Avenue School
Standard public school
717 students 10.5:1 students per teacher
Richmond Avenue School
Standard public school
609 students 10.7:1 students per teacher
Pennsylvania Ave School
Standard public school
566 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
New York Avenue School
Standard public school
550 students 10.6:1 students per teacher
Uptown School Complex
Standard public school
518 students 9.8:1 students per teacher
Brighton Avenue School
Standard public school
302 students 8.9:1 students per teacher
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 (~544 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex's federal record.
- Compare Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex against another school. Compare schools
- Atlantic City 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 School Complex
How many students attend Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex?
Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex has 544 students enrolled. It is a public school in Atlantic City, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex is 10.9:1, which is 8% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 31% 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 School Complex?
88.4% of students at Dr Martin Luther King Jr School 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 School Complex?
The largest demographic group at Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex is African American at 66.5% of enrollment, in Atlantic City, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex?
Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical 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 School Complex rank among schools in Atlantic City?
By Resource Investment Index, Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex ranks #8 of 9 schools in Atlantic City, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Atlantic City on the city page.
Is Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex a good school?
Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex earns 32/100 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 Atlantic City School District?
Besides Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex, Atlantic City School District also operates Atlantic City High School (1,731 students), Sovereign Avenue School (717 students), and Richmond Avenue School (609 students). See the Atlantic City 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.