Enrollment
988
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 341287001612
Howard M. Phifer Middle School — Pennsauken, NJ
Federal NCES profile for Howard M. Phifer Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 45/100.
👥 Class size 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 21
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
93.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
-6% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Howard M. Phifer Middle School reports 988 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 93.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 6% below the New Jersey state mean of 11.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 30% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 38.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 31% above the New Jersey average and 25% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 329 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 31.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District spends $31,247 per pupil district-wide, above the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 30.3% from local sources (property taxes), 56.7% from the state, and 13.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Howard M. Phifer Middle School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Jersey state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.2:1 | ▼ 6% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.9% | ▲ 31% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 988 | top 90% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
11.2:1
students per teacher
— 6% below state mean
Top 48% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
31.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$31,247
per pupil, district-wide
— above New Jersey avg of $29,189
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting 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
Enrollment 988 Top 90% in New Jersey — larger than 10% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 93.0
Students per teacher 11.2:1 -6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 38.9% +31% vs state
NCES ID 341287001612
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 329:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 31.6%
In-school suspensions 292
Out-of-school suspensions 205
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District, which includes Howard M. Phifer Middle School.
$31,247
Per student
+7%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+60%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,588
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Enrollment
- 358
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Enrollment
- 301
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
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 11.2:1, which is 6% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 30% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in PENNSAUKEN, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard M. Phifer Middle School?
Howard M. Phifer Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.