Is Explore Middle School a good school?

Explore Middle School ranks 79 th of 748 New Jersey middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Explore Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 152 students attended Explore Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Explore Middle School?

Students at Explore Middle School are 43% Hispanic, 24% White, 13% African American, 11% Asian, 8% Two or more races.

Explore Middle School

Summary:

Explore Middle School is a public middle school located in Jersey City, New Jersey, serving 152 students in grades 6-8. As part of the Jersey City Public Schools district, Explore Middle School has consistently demonstrated exceptional academic performance, outpacing state and district averages across multiple subjects and grade levels.

One of the school's key strengths is its ability to support the academic success of diverse student populations. Explore Middle School ranked 15th out of 587 New Jersey middle schools for Hispanic students, 10th out of 480 for African American students, and 18th out of 568 for students of low socioeconomic status in the 2022-2023 school year. This impressive performance is reflected in the school's overall statewide ranking, which has reached as high as 44th out of 652 middle schools in New Jersey, placing it in the top 10-15% of schools in the state.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Washington Middle School, Ezra L. Nolan School, and West New York Middle School, Explore Middle School stands out as a high-performing institution. In the 2022-2023 school year, Explore Middle School had significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics than these neighboring schools, demonstrating its ability to deliver exceptional educational outcomes for its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public 6-8

180-9th St
Jersey City, NJ 07302

(201) 631-6395

District: Hudson County Schools of Technology School District

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,449

Student/teacher ratio: 10.2

Number of students: 152

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.8%

White:

24.3%

African American:

13.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 23.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Explore Middle School ranks better than 89.4% of middle schools in New Jersey. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 85.29. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Student population at Explore Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (42.8%), White (24.3%), African American (13.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 23.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Explore Middle School is 10.2. (See more...)

Compare Explore Middle School employs 14.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Explore Middle School is $10,449.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Explore Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Explore Middle School 79^th of 748 New Jersey public middle schools. (See Explore Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Hudson County Schools of Technology School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Hudson County Schools of Technology School District 180^th of 615 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Explore Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Explore Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2005	91.42	1^st	599	99.8%
2007	84.34	43^rd	631	93.2%
2008	79.60	118^th	640	81.6%
2009	73.41	196^th	664	70.5%
2010	77.05	157^th	677	76.8%
2011	65.41	285^th	684	58.3%
2012	73.29	216^th	677	68.1%
2013	71.07	234^th	704	66.8%
2014	63.60	309^th	717	56.9%
2015	71.29	160^th	713	77.6%
2016	70.91	182^nd	713	74.5%
2017	60.66	273^rd	712	61.7%
2018	73.94	176^th	716	75.4%
2019	79.91	126^th	745	83.1%
2021	90.96	44^th	652	93.3%
2022	85.07	77^th	745	89.7%
2023	85.29	79^th	748	89.4%

See the entire list of New Jersey Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Explore Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	85.63	34^th	522	93.5%
2019	76.37	67^th	541	87.6%
2021	98.41	9^th	467	98.1%
2022	94.77	17^th	549	96.9%
2023	91.40	18^th	568	96.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Explore Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	74.37	171^st	680	74.9%
2019	79.99	132^nd	703	81.2%
2021	84.34	69^th	625	89.0%
2022	81.77	110^th	726	84.8%
2023	80.65	122^nd	720	83.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Explore Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	69.62	198^th	675	70.7%
2019	76.93	157^th	697	77.5%
2021	92.52	31^st	635	95.1%
2022	85.61	80^th	730	89.0%
2023	91.88	39^th	718	94.6%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Explore Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	26.78	156^th	200	22.0%

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

Rank History for African American students at Explore Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	96.43	10^th	326	96.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Explore Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	73.15	97^th	504	80.8%
2019	81.54	50^th	524	90.5%
2021	96.00	10^th	480	97.9%
2022	89.09	36^th	591	93.9%
2023	93.90	15^th	587	97.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Explore Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2019	87.00	36^th	504	92.9%
2021	93.02	14^th	435	96.8%
2022	81.78	62^nd	512	87.9%
2023	77.82	85^th	509	83.3%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for White 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 parent
Thursday, November 10, 2011

A unique approach to teaching, students get hands on projects creating a one of a kind experience. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Explore Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1998	0	20	0	12	2	n/a	n/a	34
1999	0	22	0	11	1	n/a	n/a	34
2000	1	29	5	10	0	n/a	n/a	45
2001	1	26	5	13	0	n/a	n/a	45
2002	0	17	10	18	0	n/a	n/a	45
2003	0	17	10	18	0	n/a	n/a	45
2004	2	13	12	18	0	n/a	n/a	45
2005	9	9	9	18	0	n/a	n/a	45
2006	12	13	9	14	0	n/a	n/a	48
2007	14	10	12	12	0	n/a	n/a	48
2008	9	14	15	10	0	n/a	n/a	48
2009	14	10	13	11	0	0	0	48
2010	8	13	10	17	0	0	0	48
2012	8	18	4	16	0	0	0	46
2013	11	19	7	20	0	0	0	57
2014	13	13	8	15	0	0	0	49
2015	15	7	12	18	0	0	0	52
2016	14	9	23	32	2	0	0	80
2017	23	18	26	48	2	2	0	119
2018	26	27	33	59	2	2	1	150
2019	41	21	24	60	0	0	2	148
2020	42	20	17	67	1	1	8	156
2021	47	19	12	68	1	2	11	160
2022	34	20	19	65	1	2	15	156
2023	37	20	17	65	0	1	12	152

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 Explore Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	34	3.0	11.3	n/a
1999	34	3.0	11.3	47.1
2000	45	3.0	15.0	82.2
2001	45	3.3	13.6	88.9
2002	45	5.0	9.0	77.8
2003	45	5.0	9.0	77.8
2004	45	5.0	9.0	77.8
2005	45	3.0	15.0	n/a
2006	48	3.0	16.0	45.8
2007	48	3.0	16.0	41.7
2008	48	4.0	12.0	37.5
2009	48	3.6	12.0	35.4
2010	48	3.0	16.0	45.8
2012	46	3.3	13.6	56.5
2013	57	6.0	9.5	59.6
2014	49	6.1	8.0	57.1
2015	52	6.0	8.6	46.2
2016	80	8.0	10.0	33.8
2017	119	11.7	10.1	31.9
2018	150	10.4	14.4	49.3
2019	148	12.6	11.7	33.8
2020	156	14.0	11.1	30.8
2021	160	14.0	11.4	32.5
2022	156	14.9	10.4	31.4
2023	152	14.9	10.2	23.7

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 Explore Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	34	3.0	11.3	n/a
1999	34	3.0	11.3	47.1
2000	45	3.0	15.0	82.2
2001	45	3.3	13.6	88.9
2002	45	5.0	9.0	77.8
2003	45	5.0	9.0	77.8
2004	45	5.0	9.0	77.8
2005	45	3.0	15.0	n/a
2006	48	3.0	16.0	45.8
2007	48	3.0	16.0	41.7
2008	48	4.0	12.0	37.5
2009	48	3.6	12.0	35.4
2010	48	3.0	16.0	45.8
2012	46	3.3	13.6	56.5
2013	57	6.0	9.5	59.6
2014	49	6.1	8.0	57.1
2015	52	6.0	8.6	46.2
2016	80	8.0	10.0	33.8
2017	119	11.7	10.1	31.9
2018	150	10.4	14.4	49.3
2019	148	12.6	11.7	33.8
2020	156	14.0	11.1	30.8
2021	160	14.0	11.4	32.5
2022	156	14.9	10.4	31.4
2023	152	14.9	10.2	23.7

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 Explore Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,449

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Explore 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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 126^th of 745 Middle schools	Ranks 79^th of 748 Middle schools	6.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Explore Middle School)	83.3	84.9	1.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Hudson County Schools of Technology School District)	83.3	84.9	1.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	56.1	49	7.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Explore Middle School)	68.8	56.6	12.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Hudson County Schools of Technology School District)	68.8	56.6	12.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	40.6	34.3	6.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Explore Middle School)	79.6	93.5	13.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Hudson County Schools of Technology School District)	79.6	93.5	13.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	62.8	55.7	7.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Explore Middle School)	61.4	63	1.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Hudson County Schools of Technology School District)	61.4	63	1.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	42.1	33.8	8.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Explore Middle School)	81.2	79.6	1.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Hudson County Schools of Technology School District)	81.2	79.6	1.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	62.9	55.3	7.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Explore Middle School)	24.3	27.6	3.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Hudson County Schools of Technology School District)	24.3	27.6	3.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	29.3	17.8	11.5%
8th Grade Algebra I (Explore Middle School)	50	80	30%
8th Grade Algebra I (Hudson County Schools of Technology School District)	50	80	30%
8th Grade Algebra I (New Jersey)	75.1	66	9.1%
End of Course Algebra I (Explore Middle School)	50	80	30%
End of Course Algebra I (Hudson County Schools of Technology School District)	34	42.1	8.1%
End of Course Algebra I (New Jersey)	43.3	35.1	8.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	148	152	2.7%
African American	21	20	4.8%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	24	17	29.2%
Hispanic	60	65	8.3%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	41	37	9.8%
Two or More Races	2	12	500%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	33.8%	23.7%	10.1%

Schools Near Explore 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)		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 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Explore Middle School	Public	6-8	180-9th St	Jersey City	07302	Hudson County	Hudson County Schools of Technology School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 631-6395	152	15	10.2	23.7%	37 (24.3%)	20 (13.2%)	65 (42.8%)	17 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	12 (7.9%)	85.3	79^th of 748 public middle schools	89.4%		85.1	77^th of 745 public middle schools	89.7%	2	22.7	84.9	93.5	79.6	56.6	63.0	27.6	80.0	80.0	$10,449		$10,449
Middle School # 4	Public	6-8	107 Bright Street	Jersey City	07302	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 946-5740	669	50	13.3	54.4%	92 (13.8%)	137 (20.5%)	259 (38.7%)	163 (24.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.7%)	61.3	259^th of 748 public middle schools	65.4%		61.7	249^th of 745 public middle schools	66.6%	10	21.3	54.9	61.4	50.7	46.7	44.1	2.9	88.4	88.4	$10,749	$520	$10,229
Hoboken Middle School	Public	6-8	158 Fourth Street	Hoboken	07030	Hudson County	Hoboken Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 356-3750	409	41	10.0	46.5%	178 (43.5%)	53 (13.0%)	144 (35.2%)	22 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.4%)	64.3	228^th of 748 public middle schools	69.5%		54.3	309^th of 745 public middle schools	58.5%	81	13.3	64.7	62.2	56.9	57.6	46.5	11.3	67.8	67.8	$12,680	$301	$12,379
Franklin L. Williams School	Public	6-8	222 Laidlaw Avenue	Jersey City	07306	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 714-8340	854	66	12.9	61.4%	72 (8.4%)	55 (6.4%)	604 (70.7%)	118 (13.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	28.1	531^st of 748 public middle schools	29.0%		33.7	478^th of 745 public middle schools	35.8%	53	13.4	27.8	40.9	41.4	11.7	22.9	7.6	60.6	60.6	$12,649	$746	$11,903
Kindle Education Public Charter School	Public, Charter	6	373 Communipaw Ave.	Jersey City	07304	Hudson County	Kindle Education Public Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(201) 688-0681	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Emerson Middle School	Public	6-8	318 - 18th Street	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 348-5900	1,001	71	14.0	87.4%	18 (1.8%)	8 (0.8%)	962 (96.1%)	13 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53.5	317^th of 748 public middle schools	57.6%		63.6	234^th of 745 public middle schools	68.6%	83	8.0	62.9	65.0	68.2	24.5	26.5	29.0			$8,615	$483	$8,132
Academy I	Public	6-8	209 Bergen Avenue	Jersey City	07305	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 915-6500	403	29	13.8	45.7%	76 (18.9%)	80 (19.9%)	71 (17.6%)	167 (41.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	93.5	18^th of 748 public middle schools	97.6%		92.4	32^nd of 745 public middle schools	95.7%	14	51.3	81.2	95.0	90.1	63.2	79.8		89.1	89.1	$10,195	$392	$9,803
Union Hill Middle School	Public	7-8	3800 Hudson Ave	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 348-5936	849	65	13.0	90.7%	12 (1.4%)	5 (0.6%)	826 (97.3%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61.9	253^rd of 748 public middle schools	66.2%		51.6	326^th of 745 public middle schools	56.2%	73	7.4		69.1	72.3		30.1	37.3			$10,040	$489	$9,551
Ezra L. Nolan School	Public	6-8	88 Gates Ave	Jersey City	07305	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 915-6570	234	22	10.6	71.4%	9 (3.8%)	115 (49.1%)	95 (40.6%)	12 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	9.2	717^th of 748 public middle schools	4.1%		10.6	710^th of 745 public middle schools	4.7%	7	1.0	13.6	25.0	13.0	4.4	1.3	2.5	9.1	9.1	$12,859	$319	$12,540
West New York Middle School	Public	7-8	201 57th St	West New York	07093	Hudson County	West New York School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 553-4160	1,096	77	14.2	87.0%	22 (2.0%)	7 (0.6%)	1,061 (96.8%)	6 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31.7	504^th of 748 public middle schools	32.6%		30.9	505^th of 745 public middle schools	32.2%	1	7.8		43.0	43.1		17.8	14.5	94.2	94.2	$8,996	$962	$8,034

Explore Middle School

Explore Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Hudson County Schools of Technology School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Explore Middle School

Rank History for all students at Explore Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Explore Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Explore Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Explore Middle School

Rank History for Asian students at Explore Middle School

Rank History for African American students at Explore Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Explore Middle School

Rank History for White students at Explore Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Explore Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Explore Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Explore Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Explore Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Explore Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Explore Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Explore Middle School

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