Enrollment
163
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jersey City, NJ
Explore Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Explore Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 340757000189
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Explore Middle School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #1 of 5
- middle schools in Jersey City · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.6:1
- students per teacher
- 19.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Explore Middle School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Explore Middle School ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Jersey City, NJ.
School address
NCES ID 340757000189 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.7%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Explore Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Explore Middle School
Explore Middle School is a lower-poverty, small middle school in Jersey City, New Jersey, enrolling 163 students.
At 11.6:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 19.7% lands close to the New Jersey typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of New Jersey schools, with 163 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 136 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #52.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (43%) and White (27%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 163 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Hudson County Schools of Technology School District spends $32,466 per pupil, 30% above the New Jersey average, a better-resourced district than most.
Hudson County Schools of Technology School District also operates County Prep High School (892 students) and High Tech High School (790 students) alongside Explore 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 Explore Middle School compares
Explore 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 2% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.7% | ▼ 33% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 163 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
163
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 54% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
5.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$32,466
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 163 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 42.9%
White 27.0%
African American 12.9%
Asian 12.3%
Two or More 4.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.9, Explore Middle School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hudson County Schools of Technology School District, which includes Explore Middle School.
$32,466
Per student
+30%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+96%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.4%
State 40.9%
Federal 12.6%
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 Explore Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| County Prep High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| High Tech High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Academy of Career and Technical Education | Larger | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
| Academy of Technology Design | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bayonne Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Explore Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 892
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 8.6:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 246
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 235
- Students per teacher
- 78.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 3
- Students per teacher
- -
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 (~163 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Explore Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Explore Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Hudson County Schools of Technology 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 Explore Middle School
How many students attend Explore Middle School?
Explore Middle School has 163 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jersey City, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Explore Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Explore Middle School is 11.6:1, which is 2% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 26% 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 Explore Middle School?
19.7% of students at Explore Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Explore Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Explore Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 42.9% of enrollment, in Jersey City, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Explore Middle School?
Explore Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 Explore Middle School rank among middle schools in Jersey City?
By Resource Investment Index, Explore Middle School ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Jersey City, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Jersey City on the city page.
Is Explore Middle School a good school?
Explore Middle School earns 59/100 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 Hudson County Schools of Technology School District?
Besides Explore Middle School, Hudson County Schools of Technology School District also operates County Prep High School (892 students), High Tech High School (790 students), and Academy of Career and Technical Education (246 students). See the Hudson County Schools of Technology School District district page for the complete list.
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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.