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Explore Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

32^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 752 New Jersey Middle Schools

Better than 96% of New Jersey middle schools

Summary

Explore Middle School is a public middle school located in Jersey City, New Jersey, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 151 students. The school is part of the Hudson County Schools of Technology School District, which is ranked 101 out of 609 districts in New Jersey and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Explore Middle School consistently ranks among the top middle schools in New Jersey, with a statewide ranking of 32 out of 752 schools in the 2024-2025 school year and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance on NJSLA assessments is exceptional, with over 90% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and over 70% proficient or better in Mathematics across all grade levels. Explore Middle School also excels in serving diverse student populations, ranking highly for both female and male students, as well as for Hispanic and White students. Additionally, the school ranks 16th out of 613 New Jersey middle schools for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds, indicating a strong commitment to supporting these students.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Secaucus Middle School, Explore Middle School stands out as a high-performing institution. Secaucus Middle School has significantly lower proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as a lower overall ranking. Explore Middle School's consistent high performance, commitment to equity, and positive learning environment make it a model for other middle schools in the region.

163

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,449

Per pupil spending ?

27.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

180 9th Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302

(201) 631-6395

District: Hudson County Schools of Technology School District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.9%

White:

27.0%

African American:

12.9%

See top rated New Jersey middle schools

Compare Explore Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 78th percentile in 2015 → 96th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Jersey average (75% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 4% of New Jersey middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 18 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school75%

District avg68%

New Jersey avg43%

32^nd of 752

New Jersey public middle schools ?

Top 4%▲ up 18 pts since 2015

From top 22% (2015) to top 4% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

101^st of 609Hudson County Schools of Technology School District among New Jersey districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	91.3	32 of 752	95.7%	★★★★★
2024	92.2	26 of 743	96.5%	★★★★★
2023	85.3	79 of 748	89.4%	★★★★☆
2022	85.1	77 of 745	89.7%	★★★★☆
2021	91.0	44 of 652	93.3%	★★★★★
2019	79.9	126 of 745	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	73.9	176 of 716	75.4%	★★★★☆
2017	60.7	273 of 712	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	70.9	182 of 713	74.5%	★★★★☆
2015	71.3	160 of 713	77.6%	★★★★☆
2014	63.6	309 of 717	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	71.1	234 of 704	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	73.3	216 of 677	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	65.4	285 of 684	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	77.0	157 of 677	76.8%	★★★★☆
2009	73.4	196 of 664	70.5%	★★★★☆
2008	79.6	118 of 640	81.6%	★★★★☆
2007	84.3	43 of 631	93.2%	★★★★★
2005	91.4	1 of 599	99.8%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2018	96.4	10 of 326	96.9%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2018	26.8	156 of 200	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	89.3	53 of 728	92.7%	★★★★★
2024	91.1	38 of 717	94.7%	★★★★★
2023	80.6	122 of 720	83.1%	★★★★☆
2022	81.8	110 of 726	84.8%	★★★★☆
2021	84.3	69 of 625	89.0%	★★★★☆
2019	80.0	132 of 703	81.2%	★★★★☆
2018	74.4	171 of 680	74.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	97.3	9 of 608	98.5%	★★★★★
2024	97.8	9 of 589	98.5%	★★★★★
2023	93.9	15 of 587	97.4%	★★★★★
2022	89.1	36 of 591	93.9%	★★★★★
2021	96.0	10 of 480	97.9%	★★★★★
2019	81.5	50 of 524	90.5%	★★★★★
2018	73.1	97 of 504	80.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	92.4	16 of 613	97.4%	★★★★★
2024	96.1	11 of 584	98.1%	★★★★★
2023	91.4	18 of 568	96.8%	★★★★★
2022	94.8	17 of 549	96.9%	★★★★★
2021	98.4	9 of 467	98.1%	★★★★★
2019	76.4	67 of 541	87.6%	★★★★☆
2018	85.6	34 of 522	93.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	92.5	41 of 726	94.4%	★★★★★
2024	93.7	31 of 719	95.7%	★★★★★
2023	91.9	39 of 718	94.6%	★★★★★
2022	85.6	80 of 730	89.0%	★★★★☆
2021	92.5	31 of 635	95.1%	★★★★★
2019	76.9	157 of 697	77.5%	★★★★☆
2018	69.6	198 of 675	70.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	93.1	13 of 502	97.4%	★★★★★
2024	94.3	12 of 510	97.6%	★★★★★
2023	77.8	85 of 509	83.3%	★★★★☆
2022	81.8	62 of 512	87.9%	★★★★☆
2021	93.0	14 of 435	96.8%	★★★★★
2019	87.0	36 of 504	92.9%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)99th percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)97th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)97th percentile~ school

African American (2018)97th percentile+22 vs school

Male (2025)94th percentile~ school

Female (2025)93rd percentile-3 vs school

Asian (2018)22nd percentile-53 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2024-2025) ?

Algebra I100%+54 vs state

English Language Arts90%+33 vs state

Mathematics68%+33 vs state

Science30%+10 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

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

Schools Near Explore Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NJSLA-S Science (2025)	NJSLA English Language Arts (2025)			NJSLA Mathematics (2025)			NJSLA Algebra I (2025)		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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 Street	Jersey City	07302	Hudson County	Hudson County Schools of Technology School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 631-6395	163	15	11.2	27.6%	44 (27.0%)	21 (12.9%)	70 (42.9%)	20 (12.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.9%)	91.3	32^nd of 752 public middle schools	95.7%		92.2	26^th of 743 public middle schools	96.5%	6	29.5	91.1	89.1	90.2	71.5	78.2	43.8	100.0	100.0	$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	755	47	16.0	55.5%	147 (19.5%)	146 (19.3%)	226 (29.9%)	211 (27.9%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	21 (2.8%)	64.8	236^th of 752 public middle schools	68.6%		68.9	201^st of 743 public middle schools	72.9%	35	27.5	65.2	64.5	55.6	53.0	55.2	5.7	88.3	88.3	$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	438	43	10.2	43.4%	204 (46.6%)	52 (11.9%)	136 (31.1%)	30 (6.8%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	10 (2.3%)	71.8	181^st of 752 public middle schools	75.9%		64.9	235^th of 743 public middle schools	68.4%	54	25.4	77.3	64.9	58.3	66.9	57.8	12.3	94.5	94.5	$12,680	$301	$12,379
Kindle Education Public Charter School	Public, Charter	6-7	35 Journal Square Plaza	Jersey City	07306	Hudson County	Kindle Education Public Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(551) 350-1520	87	4	21.7	64.4%	11 (12.6%)	38 (43.7%)	30 (34.5%)	3 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.7%)	30.4	514^th of 752 public middle schools	31.6%					(n/a)		48.0	44.6		13.2	29.3
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	906	73	12.4	81.9%	73 (8.1%)	65 (7.2%)	674 (74.4%)	87 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.7%)	22	580^th of 752 public middle schools	22.9%		26.3	542^nd of 743 public middle schools	27.1%	38	4.5	36.2	44.0	34.9	20.9	29.3	0.7	40.4	40.4	$12,649	$746	$11,903
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	999	67	14.9	86.7%	10 (1.0%)	10 (1.0%)	972 (97.3%)	7 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51.4	342^nd of 752 public middle schools	54.5%		52.1	328^th of 743 public middle schools	55.9%	14	5.1	67.1	59.7	66.9	42.1	28.0	26.5			$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	415	31	13.6	53.7%	97 (23.4%)	55 (13.3%)	71 (17.1%)	178 (42.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	11 (2.7%)	88.2	60^th of 752 public middle schools	92.0%		91.6	33^rd of 743 public middle schools	95.6%	27	39.0	95.8	97.6	86.5	86.3	85.7		65.7	65.7	$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	865	59	14.6	83.5%	11 (1.3%)	4 (0.5%)	846 (97.8%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60.7	270^th of 752 public middle schools	64.1%		63.2	248^th of 743 public middle schools	66.6%	22	6.4		66.9	69.6		36.8	44.3			$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	250	31	8.0	84.0%	7 (2.8%)	135 (54.0%)	96 (38.4%)	6 (2.4%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	7.7	737^th of 752 public middle schools	2.0%		6.6	739^th of 743 public middle schools	0.5%	2	1.0	16.3	13.9	11.6	5.8	3.9	2.9			$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	1,087	68	15.9	91.4%	19 (1.7%)	10 (0.9%)	1,048 (96.4%)	7 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	31.2	502^nd of 752 public middle schools	33.2%		31.6	494^th of 743 public middle schools	33.5%	8	9.4		39.0	45.2		25.1	16.3	100.0	100.0	$8,996	$962	$8,034

Frequently Asked Questions about Explore Middle School

How many students attend Explore Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 163 students attended Explore Middle School.

What district is Explore Middle School in?

Hudson County Schools of Technology School District

What is the racial makeup of Explore Middle School?

Students at Explore Middle School are 43% Hispanic, 27% White, 13% African American, 12% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

Is Explore Middle School a good school?

Yes! Explore Middle School is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 32^nd of 752 New Jersey middle schools.

Rate Explore Middle School!

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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.