Enrollment
492
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Madison, NJ
Central Avenue School
Federal NCES profile for Central Avenue School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 340924004302
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Avenue School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Madison · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.7:1
- students per teacher
- 5.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Avenue School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Avenue School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Madison, NJ.
School address
District: Madison Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340924004302 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
5.1%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-83% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Avenue School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Avenue School
Central Avenue School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Madison, New Jersey, enrolling 492 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 5.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 492 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 622 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #554, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 492 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Madison Public School District also operates Madison High School (761 students) and Madison Junior School (555 students) alongside Central Avenue School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central Avenue School compares
Central Avenue School on the metrics families compare, against New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 5.1% | ▼ 83% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 492 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
492
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
5.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 83% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 40% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$23,366
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 492 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 71.3%
Hispanic or Latino 16.3%
Asian 6.5%
Two or More 4.5%
African American 1.4%
Largest group: White at 71.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.9, Central Avenue School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison Public School District, which includes Central Avenue School.
$23,366
Per student
-6%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 73.6%
State 22.9%
Federal 3.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Central Avenue School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Junior School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Torey J. Sabatini School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kings Road School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Avenue School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 761
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 555
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 68/100
- Enrollment
- 281
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 275
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~492 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Avenue School's federal record.
- Compare Central Avenue School against another school. Compare schools
- Madison Public School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Central Avenue School
How many students attend Central Avenue School?
Central Avenue School has 492 students enrolled. It is a public school in Madison, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Avenue School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Avenue School is 10.7:1, which is 9% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 32% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Avenue School?
5.1% of students at Central Avenue School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Avenue School?
The largest demographic group at Central Avenue School is White at 71.3% of enrollment, in Madison, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Avenue School?
Central Avenue School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Avenue School rank among public schools in Madison?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Avenue School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Madison, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Madison on the city page.
Is Central Avenue School a good school?
Central Avenue School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Madison Public School District?
Besides Central Avenue School, Madison Public School District also operates Madison High School (761 students), Madison Junior School (555 students), and Torey J. Sabatini School (281 students). See the Madison Public School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.