Sparta Middle School

Summary:

Sparta Middle School is a public middle school serving 746 students in grades 6-8 in Sparta, New Jersey, which is part of the Sparta Township Public School District. The school consistently outperforms the state average in academic assessments and has a relatively low student-teacher ratio compared to nearby schools.

Sparta Middle School's academic performance is a standout, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics that exceed state averages across all grade levels. The school's Algebra I and Geometry end-of-course exam proficiency rates are particularly impressive, with 90.2% and 100% proficiency, respectively, compared to state averages of 35.1% and 51.2%. Additionally, the school's student subgroups, such as Hispanic, White, and Special Education students, generally perform better than their counterparts at the state level.

While Sparta Middle School's academic achievements are noteworthy, the school's chronic absenteeism rate is an area of concern, reaching 21.4% in the 2021-2022 school year, which is higher than the state average. This is an issue the school and district may need to address to ensure continued academic success. Nonetheless, Sparta Middle School consistently maintains a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and outperforms many of the nearby middle schools, such as Copeland Middle School and Hopatcong Middle School, in key academic metrics.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 350 Main Street
       Sparta, NJ  07871


(973) 729-3151

District: Sparta Township Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
218th of 748 New Jersey Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,076 Help


Students who attend Sparta Middle School usually attend:

High:    Sparta High School

Feeder schools for Sparta Middle School:

Elementary:    Alpine Elementary School
    Helen Morgan School
    Mohawk Avenue School

Student/teacher ratio:  9.5 Help
Number of students:  746

Racial breakdown:

White:
79.9%
Hispanic:
12.5%
Asian:
3.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  4.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Sparta Middle School ranks better than 70.9% of middle schools in New Jersey. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 65.88. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (79.9%), Hispanic (12.5%), Asian (3.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 4.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sparta Middle School is 9.5. (See more...)
Help
Compare Sparta Middle School employs 78.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sparta Middle School is $11,076.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Sparta Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sparta Middle School 218th of 748 New Jersey public middle schools. (See Sparta Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Sparta Township Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Sparta Township Public School District 196th of 615 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Sparta Middle School.

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Rank History for Sparta Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Sparta Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 82.47 95th 574 83.4%
2004 82.27 91st 588 84.5%
2005 84.43 63rd 599 89.5%
2006 82.69 92nd 615 85.0%
2007 77.70 134th 631 78.8%
2008 80.03 110th 640 82.8%
2009 80.92 101st 664 84.8%
2010 80.97 107th 677 84.2%
2011 76.30 169th 684 75.3%
2012 77.06 175th 677 74.2%
2013 77.93 156th 704 77.8%
2014 80.55 126th 717 82.4%
2015 63.90 222nd 713 68.9%
2016 74.26 152nd 713 78.7%
2017 81.78 107th 712 85.0%
2018 80.62 114th 716 84.1%
2019 81.65 107th 745 85.6%
2021 70.51 170th 652 73.9%
2022 66.48 213th 745 71.4%
2023 65.88 218th 748 70.9%
See the entire list of New Jersey Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sparta Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.89 131st 471 72.2%
2019 77.96 63rd 492 87.2%
2021 52.09 154th 401 61.6%
2022 49.53 200th 535 62.6%
2023 45.85 222nd 505 56.0%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 71.87 93rd 541 82.8%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sparta Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.28 108th 680 84.1%
2019 82.04 113th 703 83.9%
2021 65.05 178th 625 71.5%
2022 65.03 222nd 726 69.4%
2023 66.45 217th 720 69.9%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sparta Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 78.76 138th 675 79.6%
2019 80.25 129th 697 81.5%
2021 74.72 131st 635 79.4%
2022 65.98 206th 730 71.8%
2023 64.56 224th 718 68.8%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sparta Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.90 108th 504 78.6%
2019 87.43 35th 524 93.3%
2021 60.25 135th 480 71.9%
2022 54.52 206th 591 65.1%
2023 66.95 138th 587 76.5%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Sparta Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 71.19 133rd 497 73.2%
2019 71.93 119th 504 76.4%
2021 55.48 166th 435 61.8%
2022 51.13 231st 512 54.9%
2023 49.28 249th 509 51.1%
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.

Sparta Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
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Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, February 16, 2017

Open Quote The school system is great and there are a lot of programs available for the children. However, the discrimination against children from a minority group is greatly noticeable from some of the staff members. There have been incidents where comments or mistreatment from the staff members against child forgetting that regardless of the skin color or ethnic group, they are humans at the end of the day. If there is a problem with misbehavior, they mistreat the child even more. When trying to contact the counselor, or attempting to get information, the ball gets bounced around and there is never an answer or if there is one, it is to cover up for what has been done. Fear of retaliation against my child forces me to stay quiet. I chose to live in Sparta because it has a great school system but the fact that there is discrimination based on someone's race breaks my heart. If you are Caucasian, there should not be issues. Close Quote


by a student
Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Open Quote My favorite year was spent in this town at this school and enjoyed every last second in it. I really connected with the teachers and loved the team layout if you as a student feel trapped at school try new electives or make sure you please the teachers. But i enjoyed the freedom stress free environment. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Sparta Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2000 1164 0 3 23 0 n/a n/a 0 1190
2001 844 3 24 21 0 n/a n/a 0 892
2002 892 9 28 33 2 n/a n/a 0 964
2003 892 9 28 33 2 n/a n/a 0 964
2004 930 7 26 40 2 n/a n/a 0 1005
2005 982 8 27 42 1 n/a n/a 0 1060
2006 947 11 24 45 1 n/a n/a 0 1028
2007 902 16 36 40 1 n/a n/a 0 995
2008 904 17 45 41 1 n/a n/a 0 1008
2009 893 13 42 36 0 0 0 0 984
2010 941 12 44 39 0 0 0 0 1036
2011 892 9 31 34 0 0 0 0 966
2012 844 16 32 31 0 0 0 0 923
2013 769 13 30 32 0 0 0 0 844
2014 733 12 35 33 1 0 0 0 814
2015 731 7 39 37 1 0 0 0 815
2016 721 9 30 36 1 0 0 0 797
2017 744 11 27 36 0 0 0 0 818
2018 689 15 20 34 0 1 2 0 761
2019 680 16 18 42 0 1 2 0 759
2020 634 16 26 43 1 2 1 0 723
2021 604 17 25 65 1 1 1 0 714
2022 589 19 30 71 1 3 6 0 719
2023 596 20 27 93 1 4 5 0 746

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 Sparta Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 1190 75.3 15.8 2.8
2001 892 75.6 11.8 2.8
2002 964 64.4 15.0 1
2003 964 64.4 15.0 1
2004 1005 68.6 14.7 2.2
2005 1060 74.0 14.3 n/a
2006 1028 77.5 13.3 2.3
2007 995 78.0 12.8 1.6
2008 1008 63.0 16.0 2.7
2009 984 74.2 11.2 2.6
2010 1036 66.0 15.7 3
2011 966 64.7 14.9 2.4
2012 923 76.9 11.9 4
2013 844 82.5 10.2 4.1
2014 814 53.8 15.1 4.9
2015 815 74.0 11.0 4.9
2016 797 75.0 10.6 3.9
2017 818 76.1 10.7 2.7
2018 761 76.1 9.9 4.9
2019 759 76.2 9.9 4.1
2020 723 78.3 9.2 5.3
2021 714 79.1 9.0 4.2
2022 719 78.1 9.2 3.8
2023 746 78.3 9.5 4.2

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 Sparta Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 1190 75.3 15.8 2.8
2001 892 75.6 11.8 2.8
2002 964 64.4 15.0 1
2003 964 64.4 15.0 1
2004 1005 68.6 14.7 2.2
2005 1060 74.0 14.3 n/a
2006 1028 77.5 13.3 2.3
2007 995 78.0 12.8 1.6
2008 1008 63.0 16.0 2.7
2009 984 74.2 11.2 2.6
2010 1036 66.0 15.7 3
2011 966 64.7 14.9 2.4
2012 923 76.9 11.9 4
2013 844 82.5 10.2 4.1
2014 814 53.8 15.1 4.9
2015 815 74.0 11.0 4.9
2016 797 75.0 10.6 3.9
2017 818 76.1 10.7 2.7
2018 761 76.1 9.9 4.9
2019 759 76.2 9.9 4.1
2020 723 78.3 9.2 5.3
2021 714 79.1 9.0 4.2
2022 719 78.1 9.2 3.8
2023 746 78.3 9.5 4.2

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 Sparta Middle School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $11,076

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sparta 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 107th of 745 Middle schoolsRanks 218th of 748 Middle schools
 14.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Sparta Middle School)77.363.8
 13.5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Sparta Township Public School District)77.363.8
 13.5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)56.149
 7.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Sparta Middle School)57.736.7
 21%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Sparta Township Public School District)57.736.7
 21%
   6th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)40.634.3
 6.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Sparta Middle School)75.961.5
 14.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Sparta Township Public School District)75.961.5
 14.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)62.855.7
 7.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Sparta Middle School)55.644.2
 11.4%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Sparta Township Public School District)55.644.2
 11.4%
   7th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)42.133.8
 8.3%
7th Grade Algebra I (Sparta Middle School)100100
   7th Grade Algebra I (Sparta Township Public School District)100100
   7th Grade Algebra I (New Jersey)9589.4
 5.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Sparta Middle School)79.258.8
 20.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Sparta Township Public School District)79.258.8
 20.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)62.955.3
 7.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Sparta Middle School)60.831.8
 29%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Sparta Township Public School District)60.831.8
 29%
   8th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)29.317.8
 11.5%
8th Grade Algebra I (Sparta Middle School)10086.3
 13.7%
   8th Grade Algebra I (Sparta Township Public School District)10086.3
 13.7%
   8th Grade Algebra I (New Jersey)75.166
 9.1%
8th Grade Geometry (Sparta Middle School)100100
   8th Grade Geometry (Sparta Township Public School District)100100
   8th Grade Geometry (New Jersey)93.480.8
 12.6%
End of Course Algebra I (Sparta Middle School)10090.2
 9.8%
   End of Course Algebra I (Sparta Township Public School District)68.560.8
 7.7%
   End of Course Algebra I (New Jersey)43.335.1
 8.2%
End of Course Geometry (Sparta Middle School)100100
   End of Course Geometry (Sparta Township Public School District)50.675.9
 25.3%
   End of Course Geometry (New Jersey)32.251.2
 19%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students759746
 1.7%
African American1620
 25%
American Indian01
Asian1827
 50%
Hispanic4293
 121.4%
Pacific Islander14
 300%
White680596
 12.4%
Two or More Races25
 150%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients4.1%4.2%
 0.1%


Schools Near Sparta Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Sparta Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 746 students attended Sparta Middle School.

Students who attend Sparta Middle School usually go on to attend Sparta High School

Sparta Middle School ranks 218th of 748 New Jersey middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Sparta Middle School are 80% White, 12% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 3% African American.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Jersey Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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