Enrollment
414
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Plainfield, NJ
Emerson Community School
Federal NCES profile for Emerson Community 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 341314005618
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emerson Community School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #2 of 6
- elementary schools in Plainfield · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.8:1
- students per teacher
- 66.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Emerson Community School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson Community School ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Plainfield, NJ.
School address
District: Plainfield Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341314005618 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.8%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+126% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emerson Community School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emerson Community School
Emerson Community School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Plainfield, New Jersey, enrolling 414 students.
At 11.8:1, 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.
Economic need is high: 66.8% of students qualify for free meals, 126% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 414 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 233 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #160.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 42/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Plainfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cresthaven Academy Charter School (621 students): Emerson Community School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.8:1 vs 17.3:1).
Plainfield Public School District also operates Plainfield High School (2,077 students) and Hubbard Middle School (737 students) alongside Emerson Community 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 Emerson Community School compares
Emerson Community 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 0% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.8% | ▲ 126% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 414 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
414
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 126% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 58% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.2%
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
$20,332
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 + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 71.5%
African American 25.4%
White 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Two or More 0.7%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.4, Emerson Community School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plainfield Public School District, which includes Emerson Community School.
$20,332
Per student
-19%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.5%
State 81.5%
Federal 9.0%
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 Emerson Community School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hubbard Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Maxson Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cedarbrook Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Community School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Emerson Community School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,077
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 737
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar elementary schools in Plainfield
1 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 (~414 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emerson Community School's federal record.
- Compare Emerson Community School against another school. Compare schools
- Plainfield 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 Emerson Community School
How many students attend Emerson Community School?
Emerson Community School has 414 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Plainfield, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerson Community School?
The student-teacher ratio at Emerson Community School is 11.8:1, which is 0% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Emerson Community School?
66.8% of students at Emerson Community School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emerson Community School?
The largest demographic group at Emerson Community School is Hispanic or Latino at 71.5% of enrollment, in Plainfield, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emerson Community School?
Emerson Community School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Emerson Community School rank among elementary schools in Plainfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson Community School ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Plainfield, 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 Plainfield on the city page.
Is Emerson Community School a good school?
Emerson Community School earns 36/100 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 Plainfield Public School District?
Besides Emerson Community School, Plainfield Public School District also operates Plainfield High School (2,077 students), Hubbard Middle School (737 students), and Maxson Middle School (721 students). See the Plainfield 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.