Buzz Aldrin Middle School

Buzz Aldrin Middle School is one of the moderately sized intermediate schools in UPPER MONTCLAIR, New Jersey, overseen by Montclair Public School District, with 618 students on its rolls from grades 6 through 8.

Buzz Aldrin Middle School is one of 11 schools operated by Montclair Public School District, a district that enrolls 6,193 students overall.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Buzz Aldrin Middle School reports that 51% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school records 15% Hispanic, 15% Black, 12% multiracial, 7% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 30% White, putting the school's mix considerably more White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, On paper, Buzz Aldrin Middle School has 63 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 9.8:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 10.9:1 average. An estimated 17% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is below Essex County's rate of about 54%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Buzz Aldrin Middle School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 56.8%; this one delivers 52.0%.

Around the school, Essex County reports that median household income runs about $80,789, about 39% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. Across Essex County's 249 public schools (combined enrollment of about 145,473 students), Buzz Aldrin Middle School is one campus in the mix.

Northeast Elementary School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.6 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Buzz Aldrin Middle School. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Buzz Aldrin Middle School ranks 7th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 58.4%.

The campus sits in a suburban setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Buzz Aldrin Middle School's enrollment has contracted 6% since 2018, when it stood at 658 (now 618). Over the same period, the Black share shrank from 24% to 15%.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Buzz Aldrin Middle School community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.