Explore Middle School

Explore Middle School is one of the very small 6-8 campuss in JERSEY CITY, New Jersey, overseen by Hudson County Schools of Technology School District, with 163 students on its rolls from grades 6 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 72% below the state mean of about 578.

Within Hudson County Schools of Technology School District, which oversees 5 schools and 2,326 students, Explore Middle School is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Explore Middle School logs that 43% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school logs 27% White, 13% Black, 12% Asian, 5% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Hudson County as a whole.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Explore Middle School has 15 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.2:1. The state averages about 10.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 28% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Hudson County (around 68%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

With demographic context factored in, Explore Middle School sits in the top 10% of New Jersey schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 51.0%; actual is 70.9%, +19.9 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the surrounding community, census data for Hudson County shows median household earnings sit near $91,795, roughly 49% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, Hudson County runs 130 public schools (combined enrollment of about 86,216 students), of which Explore Middle School is one.

The closest other public school is Rafael Cordero y Molina, roughly 0.2 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Explore Middle School ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 50.9%.

Geographically, the school is in a high-density area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count grew 9%: 150 students in 2018 compared to 163 in 2025. Over the same period, the Asian share ticked down from 22% to 12%. Class-load math has tightened: from 14.4:1 in 2018 to 11.2:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Explore Middle School typically covers enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.