Enrollment
383
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Jersey City, NJ
Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 340075603185Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Jersey City · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 75.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School has class sizes larger than 87% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Jersey City, NJ.
School address
District: Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School · New Jersey
NCES ID 340075603185 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.3%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+154% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School
Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Jersey City, New Jersey, enrolling 383 students.
Class loads run heavy: 14.2:1 is larger than about 87% of New Jersey schools and 20% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 75.3% of students qualify for free meals, 154% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 383 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 146 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #92.
Its student body is led by African American (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 192 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School spends $19,168 per pupil, 23% below the New Jersey average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Jersey City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Empowerment Academy Charter School (1,272 students): Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.2:1 vs 17:1).
Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School is a single-school charter district, so Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School compares
Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 20% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.3% | ▲ 154% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 383 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
383
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 154% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 87% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,168
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 192 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
African American 76.2%
Hispanic or Latino 21.7%
Two or More 1.3%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 76.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.2, Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School, which includes Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School.
$19,168
Per student
-23%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 74.5%
State 9.4%
Federal 16.1%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Jersey City
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~383 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School's federal record.
- Compare Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School against another school. Compare schools
- Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School'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 Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School
How many students attend Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School?
Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School has 383 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Jersey City, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School is 14.2:1, which is 20% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School?
75.3% of students at Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School is African American at 76.2% of enrollment, in Jersey City, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School?
Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School rank among elementary schools in Jersey City?
By Resource Investment Index, Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Jersey City, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Jersey City on the city page.
Is Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School a good school?
Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School?
None; Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School is a single-school charter district, and Dr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School is its only campus.
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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.