Enrollment
310
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Elizabeth, NJ
Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51
Federal NCES profile for Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 340459006131
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of New Jersey schools.
- #2 of 17
- schools in Elizabeth · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 54.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 has class sizes larger than 74% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 ranks #2 of 17 schools in Elizabeth, NJ.
School address
District: Elizabeth Public Schools · New Jersey
NCES ID 340459006131 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.5%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51
Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, enrolling 310 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.9:1 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 54.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 310 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 207 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #164, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 41/100).
Elizabeth Public Schools also operates John E. Dwyer Technology Academy (1,348 students) and Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy (1,272 students) alongside Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51.
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 Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 compares
Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 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 | 12.9:1 | ▲ 9% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.5% | ▲ 84% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 310 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
310
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 84% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 74% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$24,380
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
Hispanic or Latino 74.2%
African American 17.7%
White 6.5%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.4, Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elizabeth Public Schools, which includes Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51.
$24,380
Per student
-2%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John E. Dwyer Technology Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William F. Halloran School No.22 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,348
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,140
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~310 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51's federal record.
- Compare Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 against another school. Compare schools
- Elizabeth Public Schools'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 Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51
How many students attend Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51?
Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 has 310 students enrolled. It is a public school in Elizabeth, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51?
The student-teacher ratio at Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 is 12.9:1, which is 9% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51?
54.5% of students at Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51?
The largest demographic group at Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 is Hispanic or Latino at 74.2% of enrollment, in Elizabeth, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51?
Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 rank among schools in Elizabeth?
By Resource Investment Index, Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 ranks #2 of 17 schools in Elizabeth, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Elizabeth on the city page.
Is Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 a good school?
Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51 earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of 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 Elizabeth Public Schools?
Besides Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No 51, Elizabeth Public Schools also operates John E. Dwyer Technology Academy (1,348 students), Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy (1,272 students), and Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy (1,268 students). See the Elizabeth Public Schools 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.