Enrollment
334
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · East Orange, NJ
John L. Costley Middle School
Federal NCES profile for John L. Costley Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 340423005930
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John L. Costley Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in East Orange · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 55.9%
- free-lunch eligible
John L. Costley Middle School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John L. Costley Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in East Orange, NJ.
School address
District: East Orange School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340423005930 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.9%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+89% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John L. Costley Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at John L. Costley Middle School
John L. Costley Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in East Orange, New Jersey, enrolling 334 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.4:1 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 55.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 334 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 219 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #172, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 167 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
East Orange School District also operates East Orange Campus High School (1,798 students) and Cicely L. Tyson Community Middle/High School (701 students) alongside John L. Costley 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 John L. Costley Middle School compares
John L. Costley 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 | 12.4:1 | ▲ 5% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.9% | ▲ 89% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 334 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
334
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 89% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 67% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.5%
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
$28,608
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 167 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 61 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.3 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
African American 70.4%
Hispanic or Latino 22.8%
White 4.5%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Two or More 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 70.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.0, John L. Costley Middle School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Orange School District, which includes John L. Costley Middle School.
$28,608
Per student
+15%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+72%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.0%
State 79.7%
Federal 11.2%
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 John L. Costley Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Orange Campus High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cicely L. Tyson Community Middle/High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Orange Stem Academy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edward T. Bowser Sr. School of Excellence | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Langston Hughes Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John L. Costley Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,798
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 701
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~334 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John L. Costley Middle School's federal record.
- Compare John L. Costley Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- East Orange 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 John L. Costley Middle School
How many students attend John L. Costley Middle School?
John L. Costley Middle School has 334 students enrolled. It is a middle school in East Orange, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John L. Costley Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at John L. Costley Middle School is 12.4:1, which is 5% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 21% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John L. Costley Middle School?
55.9% of students at John L. Costley Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John L. Costley Middle School?
The largest demographic group at John L. Costley Middle School is African American at 70.4% of enrollment, in East Orange, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John L. Costley Middle School?
John L. Costley Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 John L. Costley Middle School rank among middle schools in East Orange?
By Resource Investment Index, John L. Costley Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in East Orange, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in East Orange on the city page.
Is John L. Costley Middle School a good school?
John L. Costley Middle School earns 39/100 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 East Orange School District?
Besides John L. Costley Middle School, East Orange School District also operates East Orange Campus High School (1,798 students), Cicely L. Tyson Community Middle/High School (701 students), and East Orange Stem Academy High School (646 students). See the East Orange 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.