Enrollment
988
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Pennsauken, NJ
Howard M. Phifer Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Howard M. Phifer Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 341287001612
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howard M. Phifer Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #8 of 8
- public schools in Pennsauken · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.6:1
- students per teacher
- 38.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Howard M. Phifer Middle School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howard M. Phifer Middle School ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Pennsauken, NJ.
School address
NCES ID 341287001612 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
93.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.9%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howard M. Phifer Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howard M. Phifer Middle School
Howard M. Phifer Middle School is a large middle school in Pennsauken, New Jersey, enrolling 988 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.6:1 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 38.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Jersey, bigger than 90% of state schools at 988 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 180 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #115.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (62%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 329 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 497 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 988 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District also operates Pennsauken High School (1,588 students) and Pennsauken Intermediate School (622 students) alongside Howard M. Phifer 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 Howard M. Phifer Middle School compares
Howard M. Phifer 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 | 10.6:1 | ▼ 10% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.9% | ▲ 31% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 988 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.6:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
988
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
10.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 38% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.6%
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
$24,825
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 329 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
292
in-school suspensions + 205 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 29.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.3 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 62.1%
African American 21.1%
Asian 8.5%
White 5.3%
Two or More 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.9, Howard M. Phifer 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 Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District, which includes Howard M. Phifer Middle School.
$24,825
Per student
-1%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+50%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 56.7%
Federal 13.0%
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 Howard M. Phifer Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsauken High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pennsauken Intermediate School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Benjamin Franklin Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| G.H. Carson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Delair Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howard M. Phifer Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,588
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 358
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 301
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 (~988 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howard M. Phifer Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Howard M. Phifer Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Pennsauken Township Board of Education 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 Howard M. Phifer Middle School
How many students attend Howard M. Phifer Middle School?
Howard M. Phifer Middle School has 988 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Pennsauken, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard M. Phifer Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Howard M. Phifer Middle School is 10.6:1, which is 10% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 32% 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 Howard M. Phifer Middle School?
38.9% of students at Howard M. Phifer Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howard M. Phifer Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Howard M. Phifer Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 62.1% of enrollment, in Pennsauken, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard M. Phifer Middle School?
Howard M. Phifer Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Howard M. Phifer Middle School rank among public schools in Pennsauken?
By Resource Investment Index, Howard M. Phifer Middle School ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Pennsauken, 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 Pennsauken on the city page.
Is Howard M. Phifer Middle School a good school?
Howard M. Phifer Middle School earns 46/100 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 Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District?
Besides Howard M. Phifer Middle School, Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District also operates Pennsauken High School (1,588 students), Pennsauken Intermediate School (622 students), and Benjamin Franklin Elementary School (418 students). See the Pennsauken Township Board of Education 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.