Enrollment
696
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Budd Lake, NJ
Chester M. Stephens Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Chester M. Stephens Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 341098004404
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chester M. Stephens Elementary School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Budd Lake · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.4:1
- students per teacher
- 14.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Chester M. Stephens Elementary School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chester M. Stephens Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Budd Lake, NJ.
School address
District: Mount Olive Township School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341098004404 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
67.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.8%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chester M. Stephens Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School
Chester M. Stephens Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Budd Lake, New Jersey, enrolling 696 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.4:1 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 14.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 696 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 570 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #110.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Asian (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Mount Olive Township School District also operates Mount Olive High School (1,520 students) and Mount Olive Middle School (1,137 students) alongside Chester M. Stephens Elementary 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 Chester M. Stephens Elementary School compares
Chester M. Stephens Elementary 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 | 10.4:1 | ▼ 12% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.8% | ▼ 50% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 696 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.4:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
696
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
10.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 34% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$24,669
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 38.5%
Asian 24.4%
Hispanic or Latino 23.1%
African American 8.6%
Two or More 4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 38.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.9, Chester M. Stephens Elementary School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mount Olive Township School District, which includes Chester M. Stephens Elementary School.
$24,669
Per student
-1%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.6%
State 34.6%
Federal 4.9%
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 Chester M. Stephens Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Olive High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mount Olive Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tinc Rd. Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sandshore Rd. Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chester M. Stephens Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,520
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,137
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
- Enrollment
- 409
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
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 (~696 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chester M. Stephens Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Chester M. Stephens Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Mount Olive Township 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 Chester M. Stephens Elementary School
How many students attend Chester M. Stephens Elementary School?
Chester M. Stephens Elementary School has 696 students enrolled. It is a public school in Budd Lake, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School is 10.4:1, which is 12% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 34% 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 Chester M. Stephens Elementary School?
14.8% of students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chester M. Stephens Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School is White at 38.5% of enrollment, in Budd Lake, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chester M. Stephens Elementary School?
Chester M. Stephens Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Chester M. Stephens Elementary School rank among public schools in Budd Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Chester M. Stephens Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Budd Lake, 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 Budd Lake on the city page.
Is Chester M. Stephens Elementary School a good school?
Chester M. Stephens Elementary School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Mount Olive Township School District?
Besides Chester M. Stephens Elementary School, Mount Olive Township School District also operates Mount Olive High School (1,520 students), Mount Olive Middle School (1,137 students), and Mountain View Elementary School (565 students). See the Mount Olive Township 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.