Enrollment
431
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Clayton, NJ
Clayton High School
Federal NCES profile for Clayton High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 340318002498
👥 S:T ratio 51
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 78
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clayton High School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Clayton · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 35.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Clayton High School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clayton High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Clayton, NJ.
School address
District: Clayton Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340318002498 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.0%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clayton High School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clayton High School
Clayton High School is a mid-sized high school in Clayton, New Jersey, enrolling 431 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.3:1 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 35.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 431 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 382 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and African American (30%) (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 108 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Clayton Public School District also operates Herma S. Simmons Elementary School (715 students) and Clayton Middle School (299 students) alongside Clayton High 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 Clayton High School compares
Clayton High 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 | 12.3:1 | ▲ 4% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.0% | ▲ 18% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 431 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
431
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 66% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
7.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$21,790
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 108 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 44.8%
African American 30.4%
Hispanic or Latino 15.3%
Two or More 7.9%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 44.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.7, Clayton High School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clayton Public School District, which includes Clayton High School.
$21,790
Per student
-13%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.9%
State 57.7%
Federal 12.4%
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 Clayton High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herma S. Simmons Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clayton Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clayton High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 299
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 72/100
Similar high 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 (~431 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clayton High School's federal record.
- Compare Clayton High School against another school. Compare schools
- Clayton 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 Clayton High School
How many students attend Clayton High School?
Clayton High School has 431 students enrolled. It is a high school in Clayton, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clayton High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Clayton High School is 12.3:1, which is 4% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Clayton High School?
35.0% of students at Clayton High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Clayton High School?
The largest demographic group at Clayton High School is White at 44.8% of enrollment, in Clayton, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clayton High School?
Clayton High School has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Clayton High School rank among public schools in Clayton?
By Resource Investment Index, Clayton High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Clayton, 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 Clayton on the city page.
Is Clayton High School a good school?
Clayton High School earns 62/100 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 Clayton Public School District?
Besides Clayton High School, Clayton Public School District also operates Herma S. Simmons Elementary School (715 students) and Clayton Middle School (299 students). See the Clayton 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.