Enrollment
349
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Highland Park, NJ
Highland Park Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Highland Park Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 340717006118
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Park Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Jersey schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Highland Park · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 35.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Park Middle School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Park Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Highland Park, NJ.
School address
District: Highland Park Boro School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340717006118 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.4%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Park Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Park Middle School
Highland Park Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Highland Park, New Jersey, enrolling 349 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 35.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 349 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 334 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #249, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (34%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 349 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Highland Park Boro School District also operates Highland Park High School (493 students) and Bartle Elementary School (405 students) alongside Highland Park 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 Highland Park Middle School compares
Highland Park 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 | 12.5:1 | ▲ 6% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.4% | ▲ 20% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 349 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
349
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 68% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
27.5%
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
$24,994
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 349 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.1 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 34.2%
Hispanic or Latino 33.3%
Asian 14.9%
African American 9.5%
Two or More 7.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 34.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.5, Highland Park 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 Highland Park Boro School District, which includes Highland Park Middle School.
$24,994
Per student
+0%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+51%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.8%
State 27.6%
Federal 7.6%
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 Highland Park Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Park High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bartle Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Irving Primary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Park Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 493
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 8.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 326
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~349 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Park Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Highland Park Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Highland Park Boro 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 Highland Park Middle School
How many students attend Highland Park Middle School?
Highland Park Middle School has 349 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Highland Park, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Park Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Park Middle School is 12.5:1, which is 6% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland Park Middle School?
35.4% of students at Highland Park Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Park Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Highland Park Middle School is White at 34.2% of enrollment, in Highland Park, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Park Middle School?
Highland Park Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Highland Park Middle School rank among public schools in Highland Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Park Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Highland Park, 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 Highland Park on the city page.
Is Highland Park Middle School a good school?
Highland Park Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Highland Park Boro School District?
Besides Highland Park Middle School, Highland Park Boro School District also operates Highland Park High School (493 students), Bartle Elementary School (405 students), and Irving Primary School (326 students). See the Highland Park Boro 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.