Is Emerson Middle School a good school?

Emerson Middle School ranks 317 th of 748 New Jersey middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Emerson Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,001 students attended Emerson Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Emerson Middle School?

Students at Emerson Middle School are 96% Hispanic, 2% White, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Emerson Middle School attend?

Students who attend Emerson Middle School usually go on to attend Jose Marti STEM Academy

Emerson Middle School

Summary:

Emerson Middle School is a public middle school located in Union City, New Jersey, serving 1,001 students in grades 6-8. The school stands out for its strong academic performance, particularly among its predominantly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged student population.

Emerson Middle School consistently outperforms the Union City School District and the state of New Jersey in English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, with 68.2% of 8th-grade students scoring proficient or better in 2022-2023, compared to 55.3% statewide. The school's Hispanic, English Language Learner, and Low Socioeconomic Status student subgroups have also consistently ranked among the top schools in New Jersey, indicating Emerson's ability to effectively serve these populations. However, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 3.3% in 2020-2021 to 23.6% in 2021-2022, which is an area of concern.

Compared to nearby schools, Emerson Middle School generally outperforms Union Hill Middle School in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency. However, it lags behind high-performing schools like Academy I in Jersey City, which has significantly higher proficiency rates across all subjects. Emerson's success in serving its predominantly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged student population is a notable strength, and the school's consistent improvement in statewide rankings suggests a positive trajectory, despite the challenges it faces.

Detail:

Public 6-8

318 - 18th Street
Union City, NJ 07087

(201) 348-5900

District: Union City School District

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,615

Students who attend Emerson Middle School usually attend:

High:	Jose Marti STEM Academy
	Union City High School

Feeder schools for Emerson Middle School:

Elementary:	George Washington Elementary School
	Jefferson Elementary School
	Robert Waters Elementary School
	Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 1,001

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.1%

White:

1.8%

Asian:

1.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.4%

See top rated New Jersey middle schools

Compare Emerson Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Emerson Middle School ranks better than 57.6% of middle schools in New Jersey. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.54. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (96.1%), White (1.8%), Asian (1.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 87.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Emerson Middle School is 14. (See more...)

Compare Emerson Middle School employs 71 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Emerson Middle School is $8,615.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Emerson Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Emerson Middle School 317^th of 748 New Jersey public middle schools. (See Emerson Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Union City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Union City School District 283^rd of 615 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Emerson Middle School.

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Your rating for Emerson Middle School?

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Rank History for Emerson Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Emerson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2006	62.72	310^th	615	49.6%
2007	38.69	462^nd	631	26.8%
2008	29.18	495^th	640	22.7%
2009	30.65	515^th	664	22.4%
2010	43.00	460^th	677	32.1%
2011	42.00	469^th	684	31.4%
2012	35.77	501^st	677	26.0%
2013	33.33	517^th	704	26.6%
2014	26.59	549^th	717	23.4%
2015	33.51	479^th	713	32.8%
2016	39.91	451^st	713	36.7%
2017	36.31	473^rd	712	33.6%
2018	49.56	367^th	716	48.7%
2019	54.07	342^nd	745	54.1%
2021	34.15	395^th	652	39.4%
2022	63.56	234^th	745	68.6%
2023	53.54	317^th	748	57.6%

See the entire list of New Jersey Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Emerson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	64.74	44^th	202	78.2%
2019	64.73	47^th	227	79.3%
2021	44.87	75^th	197	61.9%
2022	79.95	20^th	270	92.6%
2023	57.33	78^th	288	72.9%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Emerson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	40.89	258^th	471	45.2%
2019	60.00	149^th	492	69.7%
2021	23.84	321^st	401	20.0%
2022	60.78	135^th	535	74.8%
2023	45.93	220^th	505	56.4%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	74.17	75^th	522	85.6%
2019	77.24	60^th	541	88.9%
2021	60.76	103^rd	467	77.9%
2022	84.16	33^rd	549	94.0%
2023	78.05	51^st	568	91.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Emerson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	51.06	360^th	680	47.1%
2019	53.42	344^th	703	51.1%
2021	37.49	364^th	625	41.8%
2022	62.58	245^th	726	66.3%
2023	49.89	336^th	720	53.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Emerson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	47.71	355^th	675	47.4%
2019	53.74	313^th	697	55.1%
2021	32.92	391^st	635	38.4%
2022	64.43	215^th	730	70.5%
2023	57.25	268^th	718	62.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Emerson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	65.82	138^th	504	72.6%
2019	70.37	117^th	524	77.7%
2021	52.06	185^th	480	61.5%
2022	79.17	70^th	591	88.2%
2023	70.13	119^th	587	79.7%

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%

by a parent
Thursday, September 15, 2016

This school has the most dedicated teachers and administration. I grew up in Union City and Emerson was tough and rough.. Today it's organized and thriving! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Emerson Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2005	18	4	3	548	0	n/a	n/a	573
2006	12	9	5	573	0	n/a	n/a	599
2007	10	8	3	544	2	n/a	n/a	567
2008	12	6	5	539	0	n/a	n/a	562
2009	13	5	4	524	0	0	0	546
2010	10	14	9	784	1	0	0	818
2011	10	10	13	809	0	0	1	843
2012	13	4	13	810	0	0	0	840
2013	12	6	10	830	0	0	0	858
2014	20	9	17	900	0	0	0	946
2015	17	7	17	961	0	0	0	1002
2016	19	7	14	963	0	0	0	1003
2017	20	6	12	971	0	0	0	1009
2018	24	6	13	962	0	0	0	1005
2019	22	10	8	982	0	1	0	1023
2020	18	14	11	1017	0	1	1	1062
2021	21	13	10	1001	0	1	0	1046
2022	15	13	10	943	0	0	0	981
2023	18	8	13	962	0	0	0	1001

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 Emerson Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	573	47.0	12.2	n/a
2006	599	45.0	13.3	91.5
2007	567	43.0	13.2	95.2
2008	562	36.0	15.6	91.8
2009	546	49.3	9.1	93.8
2010	818	47.0	17.4	93.5
2011	843	49.0	17.2	94.1
2012	840	58.7	14.3	93.1
2013	858	58.0	14.7	95.5
2014	946	59.0	16.0	96.2
2015	1002	62.0	16.1	94.4
2016	1003	60.0	16.7	95.2
2017	1009	61.3	16.4	92.8
2018	1005	64.1	15.6	92.4
2019	1023	62.0	16.5	89.7
2020	1062	68.9	15.4	88.4
2021	1046	70.0	14.9	n/a
2022	981	70.0	14.0	87.2
2023	1001	71.0	14.0	87.4

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 Emerson Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	573	47.0	12.2	n/a
2006	599	45.0	13.3	91.5
2007	567	43.0	13.2	95.2
2008	562	36.0	15.6	91.8
2009	546	49.3	9.1	93.8
2010	818	47.0	17.4	93.5
2011	843	49.0	17.2	94.1
2012	840	58.7	14.3	93.1
2013	858	58.0	14.7	95.5
2014	946	59.0	16.0	96.2
2015	1002	62.0	16.1	94.4
2016	1003	60.0	16.7	95.2
2017	1009	61.3	16.4	92.8
2018	1005	64.1	15.6	92.4
2019	1023	62.0	16.5	89.7
2020	1062	68.9	15.4	88.4
2021	1046	70.0	14.9	n/a
2022	981	70.0	14.0	87.2
2023	1001	71.0	14.0	87.4

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 Emerson Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$483 (5.6%)	$8,132 (94.4%)	$8,615

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Emerson 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 342^nd of 745 Middle schools	Ranks 317^th of 748 Middle schools	3.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Emerson Middle School)	60.7	62.9	2.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Union City School District)	58.4	59.1	0.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	56.1	49	7.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Emerson Middle School)	25.2	24.5	0.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Union City School District)	30.1	29.1	1%
6th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	40.6	34.3	6.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Emerson Middle School)	73.3	65	8.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Union City School District)	67.9	69.2	1.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	62.8	55.7	7.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Emerson Middle School)	32	26.5	5.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Union City School District)	36.1	30.7	5.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	42.1	33.8	8.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Emerson Middle School)	64	68.2	4.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Union City School District)	63.1	71.9	8.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	62.9	55.3	7.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Emerson Middle School)	40.1	29	11.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Union City School District)	46.4	35.9	10.5%
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	1023	1001	2.2%
African American	10	8	20%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	8	13	62.5%
Hispanic	982	962	2%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	22	18	18.2%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	89.7%	87.4%	2.3%

Schools Near Emerson 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 Geometry (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 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 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	NJSLA Geometry 8th Grade	NJSLA Geometry End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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
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
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
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
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
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
Secaucus Middle School	Public	6-8	11 Mill Ridge Road	Secaucus	07094	Hudson County	Secaucus School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 974-2025	470	42	11.2	28.9%	128 (27.2%)	18 (3.8%)	179 (38.1%)	139 (29.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	65.2	220^th of 748 public middle schools	70.6%		61.3	251^st of 745 public middle schools	66.3%	31		20.5			60.9	64.4	62.6			37.2	36.3	28.9	100.0	100.0	92.3	92.3	$8,873	$645	$8,228
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
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)
Lincoln School	Public	3-8	140 Anderson Avenue	Fairview	07022	Bergen County	Fairview Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 943-0560	666	57	11.6	80.0%	68 (10.2%)	5 (0.8%)	587 (88.1%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17.9	618^th of 748 public middle schools	17.4%		21.1	587^th of 745 public middle schools	21.2%	31	9.0	6.1	34.4	17.8	14.0	29.1	30.6	16.4	12.5	10.8	20.1	8.6	46.7	46.7			$10,180	$1,153	$9,027

Emerson Middle School

Emerson Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Union City School District:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Emerson Middle School

Rank History for all students at Emerson Middle School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Emerson Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Emerson Middle School

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

Rank History for Female students at Emerson Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Emerson Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Emerson Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Emerson Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Emerson Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Emerson Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Emerson Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Emerson Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Emerson Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Emerson Middle School

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