Enrollment
366
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Garfield, NJ
Christopher Columbus School #8
Federal NCES profile for Christopher Columbus School #8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 340576000468
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Christopher Columbus School #8 earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #2 of 9
- schools in Garfield · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.4:1
- students per teacher
- 34.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Christopher Columbus School #8 has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Christopher Columbus School #8 ranks #2 of 9 schools in Garfield, NJ.
School address
District: Garfield Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340576000468 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Christopher Columbus School #8 compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Christopher Columbus School #8
Christopher Columbus School #8 is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Garfield, New Jersey, enrolling 366 students.
At 11.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New Jersey median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 34.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 366 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 357 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #137.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and White (43%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 366 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
13.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Garfield's public schools, it stands alongside Thomas Jefferson School #9 (368 students): Christopher Columbus School #8 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (11.4:1 vs 10.5:1).
Garfield Public School District also operates Garfield High School (1,258 students) and Garfield Middle School (971 students) alongside Christopher Columbus School #8.
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 Christopher Columbus School #8 compares
Christopher Columbus School #8 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.6% | ▲ 17% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 366 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
366
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% above 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
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 51% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
13.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$26,779
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 366 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 50.0%
White 43.4%
African American 5.2%
Two or More 0.8%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.9, Christopher Columbus School #8 is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garfield Public School District, which includes Christopher Columbus School #8.
$26,779
Per student
+7%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+61%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.2%
State 68.9%
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 Christopher Columbus School #8 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Garfield Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Irving School #4 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Abraham Lincoln School #6 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson School #9 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Christopher Columbus School #8's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,258
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 441
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 385
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools in Garfield
2 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 (~366 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Christopher Columbus School #8's federal record.
- Compare Christopher Columbus School #8 against another school. Compare schools
- Garfield 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 Christopher Columbus School #8
How many students attend Christopher Columbus School #8?
Christopher Columbus School #8 has 366 students enrolled. It is a public school in Garfield, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Christopher Columbus School #8?
The student-teacher ratio at Christopher Columbus School #8 is 11.4:1, which is 3% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 27% 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 Christopher Columbus School #8?
34.6% of students at Christopher Columbus School #8 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Christopher Columbus School #8?
The largest demographic group at Christopher Columbus School #8 is Hispanic or Latino at 50.0% of enrollment, in Garfield, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Christopher Columbus School #8?
Christopher Columbus School #8 has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher 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 Christopher Columbus School #8 rank among schools in Garfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Christopher Columbus School #8 ranks #2 of 9 schools in Garfield, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Garfield on the city page.
Is Christopher Columbus School #8 a good school?
Christopher Columbus School #8 earns 54/100 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 Garfield Public School District?
Besides Christopher Columbus School #8, Garfield Public School District also operates Garfield High School (1,258 students), Garfield Middle School (971 students), and Washington Irving School #4 (441 students). See the Garfield 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.