Enrollment
584
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Pemberton, NJ
Helen a. Fort Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Helen a. Fort Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 341281001200
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helen a. Fort Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Pemberton · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.8:1
- students per teacher
- 42.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Helen a. Fort Middle School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helen a. Fort Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Pemberton, NJ.
School address
District: Pemberton Township School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341281001200 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.3%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helen a. Fort Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helen a. Fort Middle School
Helen a. Fort Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Pemberton, New Jersey, enrolling 584 students.
At 10.8:1, 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 42.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 584 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 327 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #97.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 195 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 305 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 584 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Pemberton's middle schools, it stands alongside Newcomb Middle School (309 students): Helen a. Fort Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.8:1 vs 11:1).
Pemberton Township School District also operates Pemberton Township High School (972 students) and Denbo Crichton School (855 students) alongside Helen a. Fort 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 Helen a. Fort Middle School compares
Helen a. Fort 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 | 10.8:1 | ▼ 8% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.3% | ▲ 43% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 584 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
584
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 41% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.7%
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
$27,889
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 195 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
153
in-school suspensions + 152 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 26.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 52.2 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 47.3%
Hispanic or Latino 24.1%
African American 18.7%
Two or More 7.9%
Asian 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 47.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.7, Helen a. Fort 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 Pemberton Township School District, which includes Helen a. Fort Middle School.
$27,889
Per student
+12%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+68%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.9%
State 76.1%
Federal 10.0%
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 Helen a. Fort Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pemberton Township High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Denbo Crichton School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pemberton Early Childhood Education Center | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Newcomb Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fort Dix Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helen a. Fort Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 972
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 855
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 447
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 309
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 296
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar middle schools in Pemberton
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~584 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helen a. Fort Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Helen a. Fort Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Pemberton 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 Helen a. Fort Middle School
How many students attend Helen a. Fort Middle School?
Helen a. Fort Middle School has 584 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Pemberton, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helen a. Fort Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Helen a. Fort Middle School is 10.8:1, 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 Helen a. Fort Middle School?
42.3% of students at Helen a. Fort Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helen a. Fort Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Helen a. Fort Middle School is White at 47.3% of enrollment, in Pemberton, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helen a. Fort Middle School?
Helen a. Fort Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Helen a. Fort Middle School rank among public schools in Pemberton?
By Resource Investment Index, Helen a. Fort Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Pemberton, 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 Pemberton on the city page.
Is Helen a. Fort Middle School a good school?
Helen a. Fort Middle School earns 53/100 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 Pemberton Township School District?
Besides Helen a. Fort Middle School, Pemberton Township School District also operates Pemberton Township High School (972 students), Denbo Crichton School (855 students), and Pemberton Early Childhood Education Center (447 students). See the Pemberton 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.