Enrollment
672
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 340459005510
Christopher Columbus School No. 15 — Elizabeth, NJ
Federal NCES profile for Christopher Columbus School No. 15, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 33/100.
👥 Class size 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 59
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Elizabeth Public Schools · New Jersey
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.5%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+142% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Christopher Columbus School No. 15 compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Christopher Columbus School No. 15 reports 672 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 48.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 17% above the New Jersey state mean of 11.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 13% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 71.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 142% above the New Jersey average and 38% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 672 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 16.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Elizabeth Public Schools spends $26,936 per pupil district-wide, below the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 10.8% from local sources (property taxes), 80.6% from the state, and 8.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Christopher Columbus School No. 15 compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Jersey state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▲ 17% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.5% | ▲ 142% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 672 | top 78% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
71.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 142% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
— 17% above state mean
Top 86% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
16.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$26,936
per pupil, district-wide
— below New Jersey avg of $29,189
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 672 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 672 Top 78% in New Jersey — larger than 22% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 48.0
Students per teacher 13.9:1 +17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 71.5% +142% vs state
NCES ID 340459005510
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 91.5%
African American 5.2%
White 2.8%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 672:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 16.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 45
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elizabeth Public Schools, which includes Christopher Columbus School No. 15.
$26,936
Per student
-8%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+38%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 10.8%
State 80.6%
Federal 8.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,348
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,140
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
Similar elementary schools in Elizabeth
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
William F. Halloran School No.22
Standard public school
1,140 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Terence C. Reilly School No 7
Standard public school
1,130 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Abraham Lincoln School No. 14
Standard public school
793 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Nicholas S. Lacorte-Peterstown School No. 3
Standard public school
765 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Nicholas Murray Butler Academy School No. 23
Standard public school
667 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Sonia Sotomayor School No 25
Standard public school
591 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Christopher Columbus School No. 15
How many students attend Christopher Columbus School No. 15?
Christopher Columbus School No. 15 has 672 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in ELIZABETH, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Christopher Columbus School No. 15?
The student-teacher ratio at Christopher Columbus School No. 15 is 13.9:1, which is 17% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Christopher Columbus School No. 15?
71.5% of students at Christopher Columbus School No. 15 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 No. 15?
The largest demographic group at Christopher Columbus School No. 15 is Hispanic or Latino at 91.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in ELIZABETH, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Christopher Columbus School No. 15?
Christopher Columbus School No. 15 has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.