Enrollment
645
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fords, NJ
Fords Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Fords 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 341812003680
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fords Middle School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Fords · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.2:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 39.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Fords Middle School has class sizes smaller than 70% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fords Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Fords, NJ.
School address
District: Woodbridge Township School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341812003680 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
63.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.3%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fords Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fords Middle School
Fords Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Fords, New Jersey, enrolling 645 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 39.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 645 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 308 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #40.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and White (19%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 323 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
10.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 150 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 645 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Woodbridge Township School District also operates Woodbridge High School (1,681 students) and John F. Kennedy Memorial High School (1,405 students) alongside Fords 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 Fords Middle School compares
Fords 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 | 10.2:1 | ▼ 14% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.3% | ▲ 33% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 645 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.2:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
645
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% above 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
10.2:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 30% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
10.9%
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
$22,601
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 323 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
95
in-school suspensions + 55 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.3 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 52.1%
White 19.2%
Asian 17.5%
African American 9.9%
Two or More 1.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.1, Fords 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 Woodbridge Township School District, which includes Fords Middle School.
$22,601
Per student
-10%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.9%
State 36.9%
Federal 5.2%
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 Fords Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodbridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John F. Kennedy Memorial High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colonia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Iselin Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lafayette Estates Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fords Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,681
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,405
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,354
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 794
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~645 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fords Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Fords Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Woodbridge Township 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 Fords Middle School
How many students attend Fords Middle School?
Fords Middle School has 645 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fords, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fords Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fords Middle School is 10.2:1, which is 14% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 35% 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 Fords Middle School?
39.3% of students at Fords Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fords Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Fords Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 52.1% of enrollment, in Fords, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fords Middle School?
Fords 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 Fords Middle School rank among public schools in Fords?
By Resource Investment Index, Fords Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Fords, 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 Fords on the city page.
Is Fords Middle School a good school?
Fords Middle School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of 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 Woodbridge Township School District?
Besides Fords Middle School, Woodbridge Township School District also operates Woodbridge High School (1,681 students), John F. Kennedy Memorial High School (1,405 students), and Colonia High School (1,354 students). See the Woodbridge Township 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.