Enrollment
1,227
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fort Lee, NJ
Lewis F. Cole Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Lewis F. Cole Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 340531000452
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lewis F. Cole Middle School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Fort Lee · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- students per teacher
- 11.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Lewis F. Cole Middle School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lewis F. Cole Middle School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Fort Lee, NJ.
School address
District: Fort Lee School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340531000452 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
101.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.0%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lewis F. Cole Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lewis F. Cole Middle School
Lewis F. Cole Middle School is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Fort Lee, New Jersey, enrolling 1,227 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.1:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 11.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Jersey, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,227 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 211 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #140.
Its student body is led by Asian (47%) and White (25%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 409 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Fort Lee School District also operates Fort Lee High School (1,170 students) and School No. 1 (540 students) alongside Lewis F. Cole 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 Lewis F. Cole Middle School compares
Lewis F. Cole 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 | 12.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.0% | ▼ 63% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,227 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,227
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below 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
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 63% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$21,776
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 409 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
Asian 46.5%
White 25.0%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
African American 4.2%
Two or More 3.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 46.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.7, Lewis F. Cole 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 Fort Lee School District, which includes Lewis F. Cole Middle School.
$21,776
Per student
-13%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 71.8%
State 21.9%
Federal 6.3%
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 Lewis F. Cole Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Lee High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| School No. 1 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| School No. 4 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| School No. 2 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| School No. 3 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lewis F. Cole Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,170
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 540
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 362
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 330
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar elementary 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 (~1,227 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lewis F. Cole Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Lewis F. Cole Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Lee 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 Lewis F. Cole Middle School
How many students attend Lewis F. Cole Middle School?
Lewis F. Cole Middle School has 1,227 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fort Lee, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lewis F. Cole Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lewis F. Cole Middle School is 12.1:1, which is 3% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lewis F. Cole Middle School?
11.0% of students at Lewis F. Cole Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lewis F. Cole Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Lewis F. Cole Middle School is Asian at 46.5% of enrollment, in Fort Lee, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lewis F. Cole Middle School?
Lewis F. Cole Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher 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 Lewis F. Cole Middle School rank among elementary schools in Fort Lee?
By Resource Investment Index, Lewis F. Cole Middle School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Fort Lee, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Fort Lee on the city page.
Is Lewis F. Cole Middle School a good school?
Lewis F. Cole Middle School earns 54/100 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 Fort Lee School District?
Besides Lewis F. Cole Middle School, Fort Lee School District also operates Fort Lee High School (1,170 students), School No. 1 (540 students), and School No. 4 (377 students). See the Fort Lee 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.