Enrollment
334
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 340423005930
John L. Costley Middle School — East Orange, NJ
Federal NCES profile for John L. Costley Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 9
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: East Orange School District · 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)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+3% 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
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
John L. Costley Middle School reports 334 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 27.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% 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 23% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 55.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 89% above the New Jersey average and 8% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 167 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 36.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding East Orange School District spends $34,101 per pupil district-wide, above the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 9.0% from local sources (property taxes), 79.7% from the state, and 11.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 John L. Costley 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 | 12.3:1 | ▲ 3% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.9% | ▲ 89% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 334 | top 32% | — | — |
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
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
12.3:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 67% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
36.5%
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
$34,101
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 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
Enrollment 334 Top 32% in New Jersey — larger than 68% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 27.0
Students per teacher 12.3:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 55.9% +89% vs state
NCES ID 340423005930
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 167:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 36.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 61
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Orange School District, which includes John L. Costley Middle School.
$34,101
Per student
+17%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+75%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,798
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Enrollment
- 701
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
Similar middle schools in East Orange
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 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 12.3:1, which is 3% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 (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.