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Howard M. Phifer Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

657^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 752 New Jersey Middle Schools

Better than 13% of New Jersey middle schools

Summary

Howard M. Phifer Middle School is a public middle school located in Pennsauken, New Jersey, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 1,010 students. The school is part of the Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District, which is ranked 434 out of 609 districts in New Jersey and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past 10 years, Howard M. Phifer Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of New Jersey middle schools, typically between 400-600 out of 700-750 schools. The school has maintained a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, except for the 2020-2021 school year when it briefly improved to a 2-star rating. The school's performance across different student subgroups is concerning, with the school ranking in the bottom 25% of New Jersey middle schools for female students, male students, Asian students, Hispanic students, and special education students. The school's performance for African American students and English Language Learners was slightly better, ranking in the bottom 40-50% of schools.

Academically, Howard M. Phifer Middle School struggles, with test scores significantly below state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. The school has also faced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 14.9% to 21.9% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. When compared to nearby middle schools, such as William G. Rohrer Middle School and Collingswood Middle School, Howard M. Phifer Middle School consistently underperforms across various metrics.

988

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,290

Per pupil spending ?

81.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8201 Park Ave
Pennsauken, NJ 08109-3544

(856) 662-8511

District: Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District

Students who attend Howard M. Phifer Middle School usually attend:

High:

Pennsauken High School

Feeder schools for Howard M. Phifer Middle School:

Elementary:	Benjamin Franklin Elementary School
	Delair Elementary School
	G.H. Carson Elementary School
	George B. Fine Elementary School
	More...
	Pennsauken Intermediate School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

62.1%

African American:

21.1%

Asian:

8.5%

See top rated New Jersey middle schools

Compare Howard M. Phifer Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 39th percentile in 2015 → 13th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the New Jersey average (19% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 26 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school19%

District avg21%

New Jersey avg43%

657^th of 752

New Jersey public middle schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 26 pts since 2015

From bottom 39% (2015) to bottom 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

434^th of 609Pennsauken Township Board of Education 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	15.2	657 of 752	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.5	626 of 743	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.4	592 of 748	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.6	584 of 745	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.4	418 of 652	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	16.9	618 of 745	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.8	534 of 716	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	28.6	512 of 712	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.7	479 of 713	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.7	438 of 713	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	31.4	523 of 717	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	34.7	512 of 704	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	41.0	472 of 677	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	37.4	486 of 684	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	33.9	503 of 677	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	30.4	516 of 664	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	30.6	487 of 640	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	33.1	485 of 631	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	30.9	476 of 615	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	23.1	485 of 599	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	22.9	478 of 588	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	21.5	470 of 574	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	23.3	286 of 359	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.0	229 of 352	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.5	183 of 361	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.8	245 of 356	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.2	111 of 291	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.3	214 of 326	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.0	186 of 326	42.9%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	13.0	187 of 204	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.7	180 of 200	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.4	173 of 201	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.1	171 of 200	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.9	104 of 147	29.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	8.1	178 of 199	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.9	155 of 200	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	25.6	276 of 343	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.4	258 of 320	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.2	165 of 288	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.3	114 of 270	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.4	111 of 197	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.6	95 of 227	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.0	118 of 202	41.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	15.5	628 of 728	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.8	565 of 717	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.8	581 of 720	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.6	550 of 726	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.7	411 of 625	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.8	575 of 703	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.3	515 of 680	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	18.7	525 of 608	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.3	505 of 589	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.2	483 of 587	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.1	469 of 591	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.5	282 of 480	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.8	431 of 524	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.6	357 of 504	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	25.0	502 of 613	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.9	419 of 584	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.2	363 of 568	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.3	306 of 549	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.4	159 of 467	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.5	356 of 541	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.4	266 of 522	49.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	16.6	623 of 726	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.8	625 of 719	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.5	554 of 718	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.7	556 of 730	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.7	383 of 635	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.1	576 of 697	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.6	504 of 675	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	22.0	438 of 507	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.3	489 of 510	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	24.8	416 of 505	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.2	426 of 535	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.0	338 of 401	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.0	374 of 492	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.7	303 of 471	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	421 of 502	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.4	405 of 510	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.7	425 of 509	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.2	436 of 512	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.6	295 of 435	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	7.5	478 of 504	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.9	418 of 497	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)20th percentile+8 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)20th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)18th percentile+5 vs school

White (2025)16th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)14th percentile~ school

Female (2025)14th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)14th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)14th percentile~ school

Asian (2025)8th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2024-2025) ?

Algebra I72%+26 vs state

English Language Arts27%-29 vs state

Mathematics13%-22 vs state

Science4%-16 vs state

4.5

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, March 31, 2016

My son is currently in 8th grade here and he enjoys it. My experience with the teachers, counselors & administration have been very good. They communicate well and have always responded to any issues or questions I have had which is very important. I have not had any issues with bullying thus far. My son feels challenged in his academics and I personally feel like the teachers want him to succeed. Given the amount of students serviced at this school they are doing a great job!I wish this school had clubs that the kids could join other than sports. But other than that, my son feels encouraged and safe here. Close Quote

Schools Near Howard M. Phifer 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)			NJSLA Geometry (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 5th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 8th 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 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 Geometry 8th Grade	NJSLA Geometry End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Howard M. Phifer Middle School	Public	6-8	8201 Park Ave	Pennsauken	08109	Camden County	Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(856) 662-8511	988	82	12.0	81.4%	52 (5.3%)	208 (21.1%)	614 (62.1%)	84 (8.5%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	26 (2.6%)	15.2	657^th of 752 public middle schools	12.6%		17.5	626^th of 743 public middle schools	15.7%	31		3.5		30.9	24.6	26.8		16.0	15.7	5.8		71.8	71.8			$9,290	$325	$8,965
Ralph J. Steinhauer Elementary School	Public	5-6	25 North Fellowship Road	Maple Shade	08052	Burlington County	Maple Shade School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(856) 779-7323	355	33	10.7	56.9%	142 (40.0%)	61 (17.2%)	111 (31.3%)	16 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.0%)								(n/a)	11.4		33.3	41.3			18.6	18.0								$7,812		$7,812
Cinnaminson Middle School	Public	6-8	312 N Forklanding Road	Cinnaminson	08077	Burlington County	Cinnaminson Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(856) 786-8012	671	63	10.5	25.2%	490 (73.0%)	60 (8.9%)	62 (9.2%)	26 (3.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (4.6%)	67.5	219^th of 752 public middle schools	70.9%		65.3	231^st of 743 public middle schools	68.9%	12		23.3		62.5	57.7	67.2		51.8	47.3	35.2		100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	$11,411		$11,411
John A. Carusi Middle School	Public	6-8	315 Roosevelt Dr.	Cherry Hill	08034	Camden County	Cherry Hill School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(856) 667-1220	859	78	11.0	38.5%	383 (44.6%)	107 (12.5%)	190 (22.1%)	126 (14.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	50 (5.8%)	44.8	406^th of 752 public middle schools	46.0%		41.3	414^th of 743 public middle schools	44.3%	8		11.9		63.9	61.5	49.6		37.7	28.7	6.4	93.7	34.8	59.4	93.8	93.8	$7,732	$238	$7,494
Palmyra Middle School	Public	7-8	311 W 5th Street	Palmyra	08065	Burlington County	Palmyra Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(856) 786-9300	134	15	8.9	59.7%	67 (50.0%)	19 (14.2%)	33 (24.6%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	12 (9.0%)	35.1	475^th of 752 public middle schools	36.8%		31.6	493^rd of 743 public middle schools	33.6%	18		8.5			41.7	56.0			20.8	24.0
Collingswood Middle School	Public	6-8	414 Collings Ave	Collingswood	08108	Camden County	Collingswood Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(856) 962-5702	446	40	11.0	33.4%	269 (60.3%)	48 (10.8%)	87 (19.5%)	10 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.3%)	74.1	161^st of 752 public middle schools	78.6%		67.7	208^th of 743 public middle schools	72.0%	47		31.8		71.4	73.0	80.0		54.4	46.9	13.2		92.8	93.5			$9,965	$266	$9,699
William G. Rohrer Middle School	Public	6-8	101 MacArthur Boulevard	Westmont	08108	Camden County	Haddon Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(856) 869-7770	414	35	11.7	15.9%	327 (79.0%)	20 (4.8%)	40 (9.7%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.3%)	75.1	157^th of 752 public middle schools	79.1%		68.9	200^th of 743 public middle schools	73.1%	43		30.3		65.4	63.1	76.9		54.7	53.2	36.5		93.3	93.3			$13,973	$425	$13,548
William Allen Middle School	Public	7-8	801 N Stanwick Road	Moorestown	08057	Burlington County	Moorestown Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(856) 778-6620	635	64	9.9	8.3%	401 (63.1%)	37 (5.8%)	57 (9.0%)	92 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (7.6%)	85.7	78^th of 752 public middle schools	89.6%		86	73^rd of 743 public middle schools	90.2%	5		41.9			68.3	74.6			70.1	54.3		98.2	98.4			$7,659		$7,659
Haddonfield Middle School	Public	6-8	Five Lincoln Avenue	Haddonfield	08033	Camden County	Haddonfield School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(856) 429-5851	631	35	18.0	1.6%	530 (84.0%)	6 (1.0%)	24 (3.8%)	27 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (6.8%)	90.9	36^th of 752 public middle schools	95.2%		88.8	52^nd of 743 public middle schools	93.0%	16		38.6		86.7	91.2	91.7		63.4	74.6	41.2		96.4	96.6	95.0	95.0	$6,717		$6,717
Delran Middle School	Public	6-8	905 Chester Avenue	Delran	08075	Burlington County	Delran Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(856) 461-8822	662	62	10.7	31.7%	414 (62.5%)	57 (8.6%)	151 (22.8%)	22 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.6%)	44.7	407^th of 752 public middle schools	45.9%		47.6	364^th of 743 public middle schools	51.0%	43		15.0		50.0	44.1	53.5		40.2	37.5	19.5		76.0	76.0			$11,462	$179	$11,283

Frequently Asked Questions about Howard M. Phifer Middle School

What high school do graduates of Howard M. Phifer Middle School attend?

Students who attend Howard M. Phifer Middle School usually go on to attend Pennsauken High School

What is the racial makeup of Howard M. Phifer Middle School?

Students at Howard M. Phifer Middle School are 62% Hispanic, 21% African American, 9% Asian, 5% White, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Howard M. Phifer Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 988 students attended Howard M. Phifer Middle School.

What district is Howard M. Phifer Middle School in?

Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District

Is Howard M. Phifer Middle School a good school?

Howard M. Phifer Middle School ranks in the bottom 12.6% of New Jersey middle schools.

Rate Howard M. Phifer 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.