Enrollment
616
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 341512000154
South Amboy Middle/High School — South Amboy, NJ
Federal NCES profile for South Amboy Middle/High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 60/100.
👥 Class size 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 64
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: South Amboy 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)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.2%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Amboy Middle/High 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
South Amboy Middle/High School reports 616 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 44.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% 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 18% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 34.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 16% above the New Jersey average and 34% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 205 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 14.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding South Amboy School District spends $21,859 per pupil district-wide, below the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 42.6% from local sources (property taxes), 46.8% from the state, and 10.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+), 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 South Amboy Middle/High 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 | 13:1 | ▲ 9% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.2% | ▲ 16% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 616 | top 73% | — | — |
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
34.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 16% 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
13:1
students per teacher
— 9% above state mean
Top 77% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
14.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$21,859
per pupil, district-wide
— below 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 205 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
94
in-school suspensions + 55 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 616 Top 73% in New Jersey — larger than 27% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 44.0
Students per teacher 13:1 +9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 34.2% +16% vs state
NCES ID 341512000154
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 45.8%
White 35.6%
African American 12.7%
Asian 3.7%
Two or More 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 205:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 14.3%
In-school suspensions 94
Out-of-school suspensions 55
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Amboy School District, which includes South Amboy Middle/High School.
$21,859
Per student
-25%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 42.6%
State 46.8%
Federal 10.6%
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
- 584
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
Similar other schools in South Amboy
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) 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 South Amboy Middle/High School
How many students attend South Amboy Middle/High School?
South Amboy Middle/High School has 616 students enrolled. It is a other school in SOUTH AMBOY, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Amboy Middle/High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Amboy Middle/High School is 13:1, which is 9% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Amboy Middle/High School?
34.2% of students at South Amboy Middle/High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Amboy Middle/High School?
The largest demographic group at South Amboy Middle/High School is Hispanic or Latino at 45.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in SOUTH AMBOY, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Amboy Middle/High School?
South Amboy Middle/High School has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.