Enrollment
642
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 340783002842
James F. Murray School — Jersey City, NJ
Federal NCES profile for James F. Murray School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 27/100.
👥 Class size 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 7
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
District: Jersey City Public Schools · New Jersey
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)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.4%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James F. Murray 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
James F. Murray School reports 642 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 49.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 38% above the New Jersey state mean of 11.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 3% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 50.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 70% above the New Jersey average and 3% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 321 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 37.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Jersey City Public Schools spends $32,533 per pupil district-wide, above the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 38.5% from local sources (property taxes), 53.5% from the state, and 8.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F), 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 James F. Murray 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 38% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.4% | ▲ 70% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 642 | top 75% | — | — |
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
50.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 70% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
— 38% above state mean
Top 96% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.1%
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
$32,533
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 321 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 62 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 642 Top 75% in New Jersey — larger than 25% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 49.0
Students per teacher 16.4:1 +38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 50.4% +70% vs state
NCES ID 340783002842
Student demographics
African American 29.9%
Hispanic or Latino 26.0%
White 22.7%
Asian 15.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.7%
Two or More 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 29.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 321:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 37.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 62
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jersey City Public Schools, which includes James F. Murray School.
$32,533
Per student
+11%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+67%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 38.5%
State 53.5%
Federal 8.0%
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
- 1,786
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,364
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,082
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Enrollment
- 926
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Enrollment
- 906
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
Similar other schools in Jersey City
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cornelia F. Bradford School
Standard public school
1,082 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Joseph H. Brensinger School
Standard public school
926 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Christa Mcauliffe School
Standard public school
906 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Mahatma K. Gandhi School
Standard public school
821 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Rafael Cordero Y Molina
Standard public school
794 students 10.2:1 students per teacher
Martin Luther King Jr. School
Standard public school
752 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
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 James F. Murray School
How many students attend James F. Murray School?
James F. Murray School has 642 students enrolled. It is a other school in JERSEY CITY, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James F. Murray School?
The student-teacher ratio at James F. Murray School is 16.4:1, which is 38% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James F. Murray School?
50.4% of students at James F. Murray School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James F. Murray School?
The largest demographic group at James F. Murray School is African American at 29.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in JERSEY CITY, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James F. Murray School?
James F. Murray School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F) 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.