Enrollment
586
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jersey City, NJ
Chaplain Charles Watters School
Federal NCES profile for Chaplain Charles Watters School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 340783002808
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chaplain Charles Watters School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of New Jersey schools.
- #28 of 28
- schools in Jersey City · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 57.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Chaplain Charles Watters School has class sizes larger than 75% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chaplain Charles Watters School ranks #28 of 28 schools in Jersey City, NJ.
School address
District: Jersey City Public Schools · New Jersey
NCES ID 340783002808 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.0%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+93% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chaplain Charles Watters School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chaplain Charles Watters School
Chaplain Charles Watters School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Jersey City, New Jersey, enrolling 586 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 57.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 586 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 279 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #273, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 586 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 57.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Jersey City's public schools, it stands alongside Beloved Community Charter School (1,573 students): Chaplain Charles Watters School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 15.7:1).
Jersey City Public Schools also operates William L Dickinson High School (1,786 students) and James J Ferris High School (1,364 students) alongside Chaplain Charles Watters 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 Chaplain Charles Watters School compares
Chaplain Charles Watters 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 | 13:1 | ▲ 10% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.0% | ▲ 93% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 586 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
586
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 93% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
57.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$26,862
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 586 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 53 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 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
African American 41.8%
Hispanic or Latino 31.2%
White 14.8%
Asian 7.8%
Two or More 3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 41.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.9, Chaplain Charles Watters School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jersey City Public Schools, which includes Chaplain Charles Watters School.
$26,862
Per student
+8%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+62%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.5%
State 53.5%
Federal 8.0%
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 Chaplain Charles Watters School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| William L Dickinson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James J Ferris High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cornelia F. Bradford School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Joseph H. Brensinger School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Christa Mcauliffe School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chaplain Charles Watters School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,786
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,364
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,082
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 926
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 906
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools in Jersey City
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~586 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chaplain Charles Watters School's federal record.
- Compare Chaplain Charles Watters School against another school. Compare schools
- Jersey City Public Schools'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 Chaplain Charles Watters School
How many students attend Chaplain Charles Watters School?
Chaplain Charles Watters School has 586 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jersey City, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chaplain Charles Watters School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chaplain Charles Watters School is 13:1, which is 10% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chaplain Charles Watters School?
57.0% of students at Chaplain Charles Watters School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chaplain Charles Watters School?
The largest demographic group at Chaplain Charles Watters School is African American at 41.8% of enrollment, in Jersey City, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chaplain Charles Watters School?
Chaplain Charles Watters School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower 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 Chaplain Charles Watters School rank among schools in Jersey City?
By Resource Investment Index, Chaplain Charles Watters School ranks #28 of 28 schools in Jersey City, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Jersey City on the city page.
Is Chaplain Charles Watters School a good school?
Chaplain Charles Watters School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of New Jersey schools. 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 Jersey City Public Schools?
Besides Chaplain Charles Watters School, Jersey City Public Schools also operates William L Dickinson High School (1,786 students), James J Ferris High School (1,364 students), and Cornelia F. Bradford School (1,082 students). See the Jersey City Public Schools 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.