Is John L. Costley Middle School a good school?

John L. Costley Middle School ranks in the bottom 5.2% of New Jersey middle schools.

How many students attend John L. Costley Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 333 students attended John L. Costley Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of John L. Costley Middle School?

Students at John L. Costley Middle School are 79% African American, 19% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of John L. Costley Middle School attend?

Students who attend John L. Costley Middle School usually go on to attend East Orange Campus High School

John L. Costley Middle School

Summary:

John L. Costley Middle School is a public middle school in East Orange, New Jersey, serving 333 students in grades 6-8. The school faces significant challenges, with a student population that is predominantly African American, low academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, John L. Costley Middle School is underperforming compared to the state and district averages. In 2022-2023, only 16.7% of 7th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, and just 0.5% of 7th-graders and 2.1% of 8th-graders met or exceeded the standards in mathematics. This is significantly lower than the nearby Roosevelt Middle School in West Orange, which had proficiency rates of 56.9% and 20.6% in those subjects, respectively.

The school's challenges extend beyond academics. John L. Costley Middle School has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 15.5% in 2016-2017 to 41.2% in 2020-2021, which is significantly higher than the state average and surrounding schools. Additionally, the school serves a high-needs population, with 58.86% to 72.61% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch over the past few years. Addressing these complex issues will require a comprehensive approach that considers the unique needs of the student population and the broader context of the East Orange School District.

Detail:

Public 6-8

116 Hamilton St
East Orange, NJ 07017-2912

(973) 266-5660

District: East Orange School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
709^th of 748 New Jersey Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,015

Students who attend John L. Costley Middle School usually attend:

High:	East Orange Campus High School
	East Orange STEM Academy High School

Feeder schools for John L. Costley Middle School:

Elementary:	Althea Gibson Academy
	Benjamin Banneker Academy
	Cicely L. Tyson Community Elementary School
	Dionne Warwick Institute
	More...
	Ecole Toussaint Louverture
	Edward T. Bowser Senior School of Excellence
	Gordon Parks Academy
	J. Garfield Jackson Senior Academy
	Johnnie L. Cochran Junior Academy
	Langston Hughes Elementary School
	Mildred Barry Garvin Elementary
	Shelia Y. Oliver Academy
	Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy
	Whitney E. Houston Academy

Student/teacher ratio: 11.9

Number of students: 333

Racial breakdown:

African American:

78.7%

Hispanic:

19.2%

Two or more races:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details John L. Costley Middle School ranks worse than 94.8% of middle schools in New Jersey. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.62. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details John L. Costley Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the East Orange School District. Racial makeup is: African American (78.7%), Hispanic (19.2%), two or more races (0.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the East Orange School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at John L. Costley Middle School is 11.9, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the East Orange School District! (See more...)

Compare John L. Costley Middle School employs 27.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at John L. Costley Middle School is $14,015, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the East Orange School District!

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

John L. Costley Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks John L. Costley Middle School 709^th of 748 New Jersey public middle schools. (See John L. Costley Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

East Orange School District:

SchoolDigger ranks East Orange School District 525^th of 615 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for John L. Costley Middle School

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Rank History for all students at John L. Costley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	12.54	683^rd	745	8.3%
2023	9.62	709^th	748	5.2%

See the entire list of New Jersey Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at John L. Costley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	31.55	193^rd	270	28.5%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at John L. Costley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	23.68	450^th	535	15.9%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John L. Costley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	16.12	469^th	549	14.6%
2023	13.00	498^th	568	12.3%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at John L. Costley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	14.75	644^th	726	11.3%
2023	10.70	675^th	720	6.3%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at John L. Costley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	11.79	682^nd	730	6.6%
2023	8.16	701^st	718	2.4%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at John L. Costley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	22.63	311^th	356	12.6%
2023	20.19	327^th	361	9.4%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at John L. Costley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	16.04	532^nd	587	9.4%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: New Jersey Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Tuesday, January 29, 2013

This schools gives a great education and helps me pass test and understand the subject clearly. Close Quote

Enrollment information for John L. Costley Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	0	544	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	553
1989	0	437	1	29	0	n/a	n/a	467
1990	0	435	1	43	0	n/a	n/a	479
1991	0	451	1	15	0	n/a	n/a	467
1992	1	492	0	35	0	n/a	n/a	528
1993	0	355	1	19	0	n/a	n/a	375
1994	1	317	0	26	0	n/a	n/a	344
1995	2	640	0	44	5	n/a	n/a	691
1996	2	640	0	44	5	n/a	n/a	691
1998	3	542	1	39	0	n/a	n/a	585
1999	2	585	0	36	0	n/a	n/a	623
2000	1	562	0	34	0	n/a	n/a	597
2001	0	571	1	35	0	n/a	n/a	607
2002	1	587	0	65	0	n/a	n/a	653
2003	1	587	0	65	0	n/a	n/a	653
2004	3	592	0	64	1	n/a	n/a	660
2005	0	521	0	68	0	n/a	n/a	589
2006	0	531	0	78	0	n/a	n/a	609
2007	0	520	0	72	0	n/a	n/a	592
2008	0	496	0	55	0	n/a	n/a	551
2009	0	426	0	51	0	0	0	477
2010	0	482	0	48	0	0	0	530
2011	0	416	0	24	0	0	0	440
2012	1	426	1	25	0	0	0	453
2013	0	416	1	20	0	0	0	437
2014	1	418	0	22	0	1	0	442
2015	1	453	0	25	0	1	0	480
2016	2	347	0	21	2	0	0	372
2017	3	351	0	28	1	0	0	383
2018	3	365	0	39	0	0	1	408
2019	4	333	0	30	0	0	0	367
2020	2	353	2	40	0	0	2	399
2021	4	392	0	50	1	0	2	449
2022	1	280	0	47	0	0	0	328
2023	2	262	0	64	1	1	3	333

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at John L. Costley Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	553	36.0	15.3	n/a
1989	467	31.0	15.0	n/a
1990	479	30.0	15.9	57
1991	467	30.0	15.5	65.7
1992	528	39.0	13.5	80.9
1993	375	25.0	15.0	80.5
1994	344	27.0	12.7	76.5
1995	691	36.0	19.2	73.1
1996	691	36.0	19.2	73.1
1998	585	37.0	15.8	65.6
1999	623	40.0	15.6	73.7
2000	597	49.0	12.2	81.7
2001	607	49.2	12.3	83.2
2002	653	49.0	13.3	76.4
2003	653	49.0	13.3	76.4
2004	660	44.0	15.0	72.9
2005	589	44.0	13.4	n/a
2006	609	51.0	11.9	73.6
2007	592	52.0	11.4	59.8
2008	551	41.0	13.4	74.6
2009	477	45.7	8.4	84.5
2010	530	50.0	10.6	75.1
2011	440	43.0	10.2	70
2012	453	46.7	9.6	66.4
2013	437	52.0	8.4	77.3
2014	442	48.0	9.2	70.6
2015	480	49.0	9.7	72.7
2016	372	45.0	8.2	74.5
2017	383	34.0	11.2	6
2018	408	35.0	11.6	57.6
2019	367	34.4	10.6	60.5
2020	399	29.1	13.7	85.2
2021	449	28.8	15.5	72.6
2022	328	28.3	11.5	69.8
2023	333	27.9	11.9	58.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio John L. Costley Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	553	36.0	15.3	n/a
1989	467	31.0	15.0	n/a
1990	479	30.0	15.9	57
1991	467	30.0	15.5	65.7
1992	528	39.0	13.5	80.9
1993	375	25.0	15.0	80.5
1994	344	27.0	12.7	76.5
1995	691	36.0	19.2	73.1
1996	691	36.0	19.2	73.1
1998	585	37.0	15.8	65.6
1999	623	40.0	15.6	73.7
2000	597	49.0	12.2	81.7
2001	607	49.2	12.3	83.2
2002	653	49.0	13.3	76.4
2003	653	49.0	13.3	76.4
2004	660	44.0	15.0	72.9
2005	589	44.0	13.4	n/a
2006	609	51.0	11.9	73.6
2007	592	52.0	11.4	59.8
2008	551	41.0	13.4	74.6
2009	477	45.7	8.4	84.5
2010	530	50.0	10.6	75.1
2011	440	43.0	10.2	70
2012	453	46.7	9.6	66.4
2013	437	52.0	8.4	77.3
2014	442	48.0	9.2	70.6
2015	480	49.0	9.7	72.7
2016	372	45.0	8.2	74.5
2017	383	34.0	11.2	6
2018	408	35.0	11.6	57.6
2019	367	34.4	10.6	60.5
2020	399	29.1	13.7	85.2
2021	449	28.8	15.5	72.6
2022	328	28.3	11.5	69.8
2023	333	27.9	11.9	58.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for John L. Costley Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$675 (4.8%)	$13,340 (95.2%)	$14,015

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on John L. Costley Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade English Language Arts (John L. Costley Middle School)	27.6	27.3	0.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (East Orange School District)	41.6	40.6	1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	62.9	55.3	7.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (John L. Costley Middle School)	4.9	2.1	2.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (East Orange School District)	12	7.9	4.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	29.3	17.8	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	367	333	9.3%
African American	333	262	21.3%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	30	64	113.3%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	4	2	50%
Two or More Races	0	3
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.5%	58.9%	1.6%

Schools Near John L. Costley Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				NJSLA-S Science (2023)		NJSLA English Language Arts (2023)						NJSLA Mathematics (2023)						NJSLA Algebra I (2023)			NJSLA Algebra II (2023)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NJSLA-S Science 5th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 7th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	NJSLA Algebra II 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra II End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
John L. Costley Middle School	Public	6-8	116 Hamilton St	East Orange	07017	Essex County	East Orange School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 266-5660	333	28	11.9	58.9%	2 (0.6%)	262 (78.7%)	64 (19.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	9.6	709^th of 748 public middle schools	5.2%		12.5	683^rd of 745 public middle schools	8.3%	26		0.7					16.7	27.3					0.5	2.1						$14,015	$675	$13,340
Sojourner Truth Middle School	Public	6-8	116 Hamilton St	East Orange	07017	Essex County	East Orange School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 266-5665	278	22	12.8	60.4%	0 (0.0%)	215 (77.3%)	59 (21.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)								(n/a)						12.7						2.4								$12,234	$381	$11,853
Patrick F. Healy Middle School	Public	6-8	116 Hamilton St	East Orange	07017	Essex County	East Orange School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 266-5670	330	26	12.9	61.8%	3 (0.9%)	276 (83.6%)	47 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	17.3	625^th of 748 public middle schools	16.4%		9.8	718^th of 745 public middle schools	3.6%	93		2.1					31.9	27.3					4.2	11.3						$11,816	$431	$11,385
Rosa Parks Community School	Public	3-7	369 Main Street	Orange	07050	Essex County	ORANGE BOARD OF EDUCATION School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 677-4515	534	52	10.2	90.4%	1 (0.2%)	168 (31.5%)	361 (67.6%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.4	567^th of 748 public middle schools	24.2%		26.2	539^th of 745 public middle schools	27.7%	28	9.4		28.1	33.9	36.1	28.3	36.0		16.3	16.1	14.9	16.4	20.7							$8,884	$492	$8,392
Pride Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	5-8	117 Elmwood Ave	East Orange	07018	Essex County	Pride Academy Charter School District	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 672-3200	299	23	13.0	78.3%	0 (0.0%)	283 (94.6%)	14 (4.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51.3	335^th of 748 public middle schools	55.2%		45.5	380^th of 745 public middle schools	49.0%	45	16.5	9.5			52.0	34.6	68.0	64.9			35.6	29.3	38.7	16.7		80.0	80.0			$7,531	$934	$6,597
Orange Preparatory Academy School of Inquiry and Innovation	Public	8	400 Central Ave	Orange	07050	Essex County	ORANGE BOARD OF EDUCATION School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 677-4135	414	50	8.2	79.5%	1 (0.2%)	219 (52.9%)	190 (45.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	34.1	476^th of 748 public middle schools	36.4%		29.6	512^th of 745 public middle schools	31.3%	36		6.1						44.8						15.6		94.8	94.8			$12,917	$383	$12,534
Edison Middle School	Public	6	75 William St	West Orange	07052	Essex County	West Orange Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(973) 669-5360	484	50	9.6	43.2%	91 (18.8%)	176 (36.4%)	174 (36.0%)	9 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	30 (6.2%)								(n/a)						50.7						35.9								$11,329		$11,329
Glenfield Middle School	Public	6-8	25 Maple Ave	Montclair	07042	Essex County	Montclair Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 509-4172	548	65	8.4	16.6%	249 (45.4%)	141 (25.7%)	86 (15.7%)	10 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (10.9%)	61.8	256^th of 748 public middle schools	65.8%		48.1	359^th of 745 public middle schools	51.8%	103		22.7				67.5	66.7	64.4				50.3	40.0		90.5	33.5	39.1			$12,589	$535	$12,054
Roosevelt Middle School	Public	7-8	36 Gilbert Pl	West Orange	07052	Essex County	West Orange Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(973) 669-5373	499	55	9.0	44.3%	100 (20.0%)	167 (33.5%)	170 (34.1%)	23 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (7.2%)	47.7	365^th of 748 public middle schools	51.2%		45.5	381^st of 745 public middle schools	48.9%	16		24.2					56.9	57.9					20.6	10.2	87.8	43.5	62.1	40.7	40.7	$13,694		$13,694
University Middle School	Public	6-8	255 Myrtle Ave	Irvington	07111	Essex County	Irvington Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 399-6879	720	51	14.1	45.7%	0 (0.0%)	512 (71.1%)	199 (27.6%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	12.8	682^nd of 748 public middle schools	8.8%		11.9	691^st of 745 public middle schools	7.2%	9		1.6				24.1	18.8	25.7				7.4	4.9	5.2		53.8	53.8			$9,378	$185	$9,193

John L. Costley Middle School

John L. Costley Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

East Orange School District:

Average Rating:

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Rank History for John L. Costley Middle School

Rank History for all students at John L. Costley Middle School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at John L. Costley Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at John L. Costley Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John L. Costley Middle School

Rank History for Female students at John L. Costley Middle School

Rank History for Male students at John L. Costley Middle School

Rank History for African American students at John L. Costley Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at John L. Costley Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for John L. Costley Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at John L. Costley Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio John L. Costley Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for John L. Costley Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on John L. Costley Middle School

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near John L. Costley Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about John L. Costley Middle School

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