Is Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School a good school?

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School ranks in the bottom 1.6% of New Jersey middle schools.

How many students attend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 287 students attended Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School?

Students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School are 50% African American, 48% Hispanic, 2% White.

What high school do graduates of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School attend?

Students who attend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School usually go on to attend Asbury Park High School

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Summary:

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School is a public middle school in Asbury Park, New Jersey, serving 267 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Asbury Park School District, which is ranked 598 out of 613 school districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The school consistently ranks among the lowest-performing middle schools in New Jersey, with proficiency rates ranging from 0% to 12.7% in English Language Arts and 0% to 3.7% in Mathematics, significantly below state averages. The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, ranking 333 out of 352 New Jersey middle schools for African American students, 529 out of 589 for Hispanic students, and 531 out of 584 for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, the school has consistently high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 16.6% to 39.2%, much higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Markham Place School in Little Silver, Maple Place Middle School in Oceanport, and Wall Intermediate School in Wall Township, the academic performance gap is stark. These nearby schools consistently rank among the top middle schools in New Jersey and have proficiency rates well above 80% in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. Despite the relatively high per-student spending and low student-teacher ratio at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School, the school's academic outcomes remain unacceptably low, indicating that simply increasing resources may not be enough to drive meaningful improvements.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1200 Bangs Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ 07712-6314

(732) 776-2559

District: Asbury Park School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
731^st of 743 New Jersey Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,456

Students who attend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School usually attend:

High:

Asbury Park High School

Feeder schools for Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School:

Elementary:	Bradley Elementary School
	Thurgood Marshall Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 8.8

Number of students: 287

Racial breakdown:

African American:

49.8%

Hispanic:

48.1%

White:

2.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 55.1%

See top rated New Jersey middle schools

Compare Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School ranks worse than 98.4% of middle schools in New Jersey. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.66. (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: African American (49.8%), Hispanic (48.1%), White (2.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 55.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School is 8.8. (See more...)

Compare Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School employs 32.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School is $22,456.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School 731^st of 743 New Jersey public middle schools. (See Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Asbury Park School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Asbury Park School District 598^th of 613 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2003	1.05	565^th	574	1.6%
2004	2.09	564^th	588	4.1%
2005	0.95	592^nd	599	1.2%
2006	1.14	603^rd	615	2.0%
2007	1.91	612^th	631	3.0%
2008	1.20	637^th	640	0.5%
2009	1.40	653^rd	664	1.7%
2010	3.13	651^st	677	3.8%
2011	2.23	664^th	684	2.9%
2012	1.52	664^th	677	1.9%
2013	1.10	695^th	704	1.3%
2014	0.87	706^th	717	1.5%
2015	5.16	697^th	713	2.2%
2016	5.58	696^th	713	2.4%
2017	6.06	686^th	712	3.7%
2018	4.52	708^th	716	1.1%
2019	5.78	721^st	745	3.2%
2024	7.66	731^st	743	1.6%

See the entire list of New Jersey Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	10.58	531^st	584	9.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	5.81	716^th	719	0.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	9.16	333^rd	352	5.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	16.55	529^th	589	10.2%

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

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	36	611	7	76	0	n/a	n/a	730
1989	38	622	1	87	0	n/a	n/a	748
1990	24	567	1	69	0	n/a	n/a	661
1991	25	689	0	73	0	n/a	n/a	787
1992	22	667	0	66	0	n/a	n/a	755
1993	16	716	0	65	0	n/a	n/a	797
1994	18	691	0	68	0	n/a	n/a	777
1995	9	655	0	58	0	n/a	n/a	722
1996	9	655	0	58	0	n/a	n/a	722
1998	15	538	0	51	0	n/a	n/a	604
1999	18	577	1	72	0	n/a	n/a	668
2000	16	604	0	66	1	n/a	n/a	687
2001	13	604	2	83	0	n/a	n/a	702
2002	9	593	2	84	0	n/a	n/a	688
2003	9	593	2	84	0	n/a	n/a	688
2004	9	599	3	99	0	n/a	n/a	710
2005	8	559	1	102	0	n/a	n/a	670
2006	6	511	0	103	0	n/a	n/a	620
2007	4	439	0	91	0	n/a	n/a	534
2008	8	535	0	129	0	n/a	n/a	672
2009	8	361	0	100	0	0	0	469
2010	7	278	1	93	0	0	0	379
2011	11	254	1	93	0	0	0	359
2012	15	377	2	133	0	0	0	527
2013	11	359	0	121	0	0	0	491
2014	12	397	0	149	0	0	0	558
2015	6	281	0	117	0	0	0	404
2016	9	235	0	133	0	0	0	377
2017	7	223	0	142	0	0	0	372
2018	6	195	0	148	0	0	0	349
2019	6	180	0	155	0	0	0	341
2020	8	154	0	160	0	0	0	322
2021	10	182	0	177	0	0	1	370
2022	11	171	0	132	0	0	0	314
2023	6	142	0	119	0	0	0	267
2024	6	143	0	138	0	0	0	287

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 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	730	64.0	11.4	n/a
1989	748	68.0	11.0	n/a
1990	661	61.0	10.8	61.6
1991	787	64.0	12.2	76.5
1992	755	60.0	12.5	77.4
1993	797	64.0	12.5	80.2
1994	777	65.0	12.0	83.5
1995	722	65.0	11.1	86.4
1996	722	65.0	11.1	86.4
1998	604	54.6	11.1	85.9
1999	668	52.6	12.7	76.8
2000	687	52.0	13.2	80.2
2001	702	52.2	13.4	77.8
2002	688	66.0	10.4	75.6
2003	688	66.0	10.4	75.6
2004	710	64.0	11.1	77.2
2005	670	74.0	9.1	n/a
2006	620	73.0	8.5	91.6
2007	534	71.0	7.5	77.7
2008	672	51.0	13.2	67.6
2009	469	73.0	5.4	48
2010	379	57.0	6.6	77.3
2011	359	45.5	7.8	75.5
2012	527	57.9	9.0	86.9
2013	491	60.5	8.1	93.9
2014	558	67.0	8.3	96.4
2015	404	55.0	7.3	92.6
2016	377	48.0	7.8	92.3
2017	372	40.0	9.2	91.4
2018	349	40.0	8.7	64.8
2019	341	38.0	8.9	60.1
2020	322	35.5	9.0	63.4
2021	370	43.8	8.4	65.9
2022	314	40.5	7.7	58.6
2023	267	32.5	8.2	58.1
2024	287	32.5	8.8	55.1

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 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	730	64.0	11.4	n/a
1989	748	68.0	11.0	n/a
1990	661	61.0	10.8	61.6
1991	787	64.0	12.2	76.5
1992	755	60.0	12.5	77.4
1993	797	64.0	12.5	80.2
1994	777	65.0	12.0	83.5
1995	722	65.0	11.1	86.4
1996	722	65.0	11.1	86.4
1998	604	54.6	11.1	85.9
1999	668	52.6	12.7	76.8
2000	687	52.0	13.2	80.2
2001	702	52.2	13.4	77.8
2002	688	66.0	10.4	75.6
2003	688	66.0	10.4	75.6
2004	710	64.0	11.1	77.2
2005	670	74.0	9.1	n/a
2006	620	73.0	8.5	91.6
2007	534	71.0	7.5	77.7
2008	672	51.0	13.2	67.6
2009	469	73.0	5.4	48
2010	379	57.0	6.6	77.3
2011	359	45.5	7.8	75.5
2012	527	57.9	9.0	86.9
2013	491	60.5	8.1	93.9
2014	558	67.0	8.3	96.4
2015	404	55.0	7.3	92.6
2016	377	48.0	7.8	92.3
2017	372	40.0	9.2	91.4
2018	349	40.0	8.7	64.8
2019	341	38.0	8.9	60.1
2020	322	35.5	9.0	63.4
2021	370	43.8	8.4	65.9
2022	314	40.5	7.7	58.6
2023	267	32.5	8.2	58.1
2024	287	32.5	8.8	55.1

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 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$414 (1.8%)	$22,042 (98.2%)	$22,456

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dr. Martin Luther King Junior 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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School)	23.3	7.7	15.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Asbury Park School District)	23.1	7.7	15.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	56.1	49	7.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School)	6.7	1.1	5.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Asbury Park School District)	6.7	1.1	5.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	40.6	34.3	6.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	341	267	21.7%
African American	180	142	21.1%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	155	119	23.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	6	6
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.1%	58.1%	2.1%

Schools Near Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NJSLA-S Science (2024)		NJSLA English Language Arts (2024)				NJSLA Mathematics (2024)				NJSLA Algebra I (2024)			NJSLA Geometry (2024)		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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	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
Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School	Public	6-8	1200 Bangs Avenue	Asbury Park	07712	Monmouth County	Asbury Park School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 776-2559	287	33	8.8	55.1%	6 (2.1%)	143 (49.8%)	138 (48.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.7	731^st of 743 public middle schools	1.6%					(n/a)		0.0		8.5				1.0								$22,456	$414	$22,042
Neptune Middle School	Public	6-8	2300 Heck Avenue	Neptune	07753	Monmouth County	Neptune Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 776-2200	625	69	9.0	62.2%	81 (13.0%)	265 (42.4%)	214 (34.2%)	16 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.8%)	26.5	540^th of 743 public middle schools	27.3%		25.4	553^rd of 748 public middle schools	26.1%	13		11.1		38.5	36.3	39.4		12.0	21.9	6.3		79.1	79.1			$13,565	$585	$12,980
Township of Ocean Intermediate School	Public	5-8	1200 West Park Avenue	Ocean	07712	Monmouth County	Township of Ocean School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 531-5630	861	91	9.4	31.8%	496 (57.6%)	86 (10.0%)	193 (22.4%)	57 (6.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.0%)	52.5	325^th of 743 public middle schools	56.3%		47.3	372^nd of 748 public middle schools	50.3%	47	27.8	17.8	56.9	53.0	60.4	51.9	40.1	35.0	35.7	15.6		92.0	93.4	90.0	90.0	$9,710	$169	$9,541
Frank Antonides School	Public	5-8	135 Locust Avenue	West Long Branch	07764	Monmouth County	West Long Branch School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 222-5900	226	30	7.5	18.1%	164 (72.6%)	3 (1.3%)	46 (20.4%)	6 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.7%)	80.8	118^th of 743 public middle schools	84.1%		73.3	171^st of 748 public middle schools	77.1%	53	35.5	32.8	50.9	64.6	59.5	75.5	37.7	51.6	65.0	51.3		94.8	95.2			$11,358	$187	$11,171
Long Branch Middle School	Public	6-8	350 Indiana Avenue	Long Branch	07740	Monmouth County	LONG BRANCH PUBLIC SCHOOL District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 229-5533	1,122	112	10.0	79.8%	242 (21.6%)	136 (12.1%)	707 (63.0%)	7 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (2.5%)	15.9	646^th of 743 public middle schools	13.1%		17	628^th of 748 public middle schools	16.0%	18		3.2		21.6	34.9	24.1		15.0	11.2	3.4		83.9	88.7	36.8	36.8	$11,016	$289	$10,727
Wall Intermediate School	Public	6-8	2801 Allaire Road	Wall	07719	Monmouth County	Wall Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 556-2500	758	83	9.1	11.9%	628 (82.8%)	16 (2.1%)	72 (9.5%)	13 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.6%)	81.1	116^th of 743 public middle schools	84.4%		78	143^rd of 748 public middle schools	80.9%	27		24.0		72.4	73.6	78.6		62.9	69.0	30.9	98.2	93.0	95.3	88.2	88.2	$11,793	$147	$11,646
Memorial Middle School	Public	7-8	7 Grant Avenue	Eatontown	07724	Monmouth County	Eatontown Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 542-5013	178	25	7.0	46.1%	66 (37.1%)	28 (15.7%)	62 (34.8%)	12 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.6%)	58.3	289^th of 743 public middle schools	61.1%		53.5	318^th of 748 public middle schools	57.5%	29		19.1			65.5	50.6			41.7	21.6		100.0	100.0			$17,722	$703	$17,019
Margaret L Vetter	Public	5-6	3 Grant Avenue	Eatontown	07724	Monmouth County	Eatontown Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 542-4644	222	23	9.5	47.3%	83 (37.4%)	26 (11.7%)	78 (35.1%)	21 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.3%)								(n/a)	20.9		48.4	54.5			40.7	32.9								$17,622	$724	$16,898
Maple Place Middle School	Public	5-8	Maple Place	Oceanport	07757	Monmouth County	Oceanport School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 229-0267	273	31	8.6	5.5%	246 (90.1%)	3 (1.1%)	19 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	80.2	121^st of 743 public middle schools	83.7%		85.7	75^th of 748 public middle schools	90.0%	46	48.4	23.8	53.1	75.7	88.1	58.8	67.2	60.6	80.4	34.1		86.2	88.1			$17,151	$302	$16,849
Tinton Falls Middle School	Public	6-8	674 Tinton Avenue	Tinton Falls	07724	Monmouth County	Tinton Falls School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 542-0775	462	51	9.1	21.9%	280 (60.6%)	41 (8.9%)	90 (19.5%)	24 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.8%)	66.9	217^th of 743 public middle schools	70.8%		63.7	235^th of 748 public middle schools	68.6%	18		25.4		64.2	68.8	65.0		41.5	41.4	20.8		86.7	88.2			$12,348	$113	$12,235

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Asbury Park School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Rank History for all students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Rank History for African American students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Enrollment information for Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School