Enrollment
356
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chester, NJ
Dickerson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Dickerson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 340306006026
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 97
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dickerson Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.1:1
- students per teacher
- 3.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Dickerson Elementary School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dickerson Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Chester, NJ.
School address
District: Chester Township School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340306006026 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
3.2%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-89% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dickerson Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dickerson Elementary School
Dickerson Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Chester, New Jersey, enrolling 356 students.
At 11.1:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 3.2% free-meal eligibility runs 89% below the New Jersey average.
With 356 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 565 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #349.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 356 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Chester Township School District also operates Black River Middle School (352 students) and Bragg Elementary School (297 students) alongside Dickerson 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 Dickerson Elementary School compares
Dickerson 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 | 11.1:1 | ▼ 6% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 3.2% | ▼ 89% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 356 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
356
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
3.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 89% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.1:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 45% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
1.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$26,248
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 356 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 68.0%
Hispanic or Latino 19.7%
Asian 8.4%
Two or More 2.8%
African American 1.1%
Largest group: White at 68.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Dickerson Elementary School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chester Township School District, which includes Dickerson Elementary School.
$26,248
Per student
+5%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+58%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.7%
State 21.7%
Federal 5.6%
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 Dickerson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black River Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bragg Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dickerson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 352
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 72/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 7.6:1
- Resource Index
- 70/100
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 (~356 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dickerson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Dickerson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Chester 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 Dickerson Elementary School
How many students attend Dickerson Elementary School?
Dickerson Elementary School has 356 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chester, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dickerson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dickerson Elementary School is 11.1:1, which is 6% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 29% 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 Dickerson Elementary School?
3.2% of students at Dickerson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dickerson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Dickerson Elementary School is White at 68.0% of enrollment, in Chester, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dickerson Elementary School?
Dickerson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Dickerson Elementary School rank among public schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Dickerson Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Chester, 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 Chester on the city page.
Is Dickerson Elementary School a good school?
Dickerson Elementary School earns 53/100 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 Chester Township School District?
Besides Dickerson Elementary School, Chester Township School District also operates Black River Middle School (352 students) and Bragg Elementary School (297 students). See the Chester 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.