Enrollment
320
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 340240003221
Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School — Minotola, NJ
Federal NCES profile for Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 60/100.
👥 Class size 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 57
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: Buena Regional School District · 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)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.7%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School 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
Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School reports 320 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 18% 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 11% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 45.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 54% above the New Jersey average and 12% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 160 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 17.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Buena Regional School District spends $31,927 per pupil district-wide, above the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 35.3% from local sources (property taxes), 55.4% from the state, and 9.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+), 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 Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School 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 | 14.1:1 | ▲ 18% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.7% | ▲ 54% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 320 | top 29% | — | — |
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
45.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 54% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
— 18% above state mean
Top 87% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
17.2%
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
$31,927
per pupil, district-wide
— above New Jersey avg of $29,189
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 160 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 320 Top 29% in New Jersey — larger than 71% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 14.1:1 +18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 45.7% +54% vs state
NCES ID 340240003221
Student demographics
White 55.0%
Hispanic or Latino 30.3%
African American 9.7%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 55.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 160:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 17.2%
In-school suspensions 5
Out-of-school suspensions 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buena Regional School District, which includes Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School.
$31,927
Per student
+9%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+64%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 35.3%
State 55.4%
Federal 9.3%
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
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
- Enrollment
- 221
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Enrollment
- 192
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
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 Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School
How many students attend Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School?
Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School has 320 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in MINOTOLA, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School is 14.1:1, which is 18% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School?
45.7% of students at Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School is White at 55.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in MINOTOLA, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School?
Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+) 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.