Enrollment
384
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Orange, NJ
Forest Street Community Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Forest Street Community Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 341227002402
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest Street Community Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of New Jersey schools.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Orange · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 77.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest Street Community Elementary School has class sizes larger than 83% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Street Community Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Orange, NJ.
School address
District: Orange Board of Education School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341227002402 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.3%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+161% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest Street Community Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest Street Community Elementary School
Forest Street Community Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Orange, New Jersey, enrolling 384 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 77.3% of students qualify for free meals, 161% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 384 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 134 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #51.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and African American (46%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 384 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Orange's public schools, it stands alongside Orange Early Childhood Center (195 students): Forest Street Community Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.7:1 vs 5:1).
Orange Board of Education School District also operates Orange High School (1,368 students) and Lincoln Avenue Elementary School (728 students) alongside Forest Street Community 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 Forest Street Community Elementary School compares
Forest Street Community 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 | 13.7:1 | ▲ 16% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.3% | ▲ 161% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 384 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
384
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 161% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 83% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.1%
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
$22,065
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 384 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 51.6%
African American 45.6%
Two or More 1.8%
White 0.5%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.5, Forest Street Community Elementary School is about as mixed as the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange Board of Education School District, which includes Forest Street Community Elementary School.
$22,065
Per student
-12%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.6%
State 78.6%
Federal 9.8%
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 Forest Street Community Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Avenue Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rosa Parks Community School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Park Avenue Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Orange Preparatory Academy School of Inquiry and Innovation | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest Street Community Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,368
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 728
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 593
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 7.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Orange
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~384 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest Street Community Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Forest Street Community Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Orange Board of Education 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 Forest Street Community Elementary School
How many students attend Forest Street Community Elementary School?
Forest Street Community Elementary School has 384 students enrolled. It is a public school in Orange, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Street Community Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest Street Community Elementary School is 13.7:1, which is 16% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Forest Street Community Elementary School?
77.3% of students at Forest Street Community Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Street Community Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Forest Street Community Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 51.6% of enrollment, in Orange, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Street Community Elementary School?
Forest Street Community Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Forest Street Community Elementary School rank among schools in Orange?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Street Community Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Orange, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Orange on the city page.
Is Forest Street Community Elementary School a good school?
Forest Street Community Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Orange Board of Education School District?
Besides Forest Street Community Elementary School, Orange Board of Education School District also operates Orange High School (1,368 students), Lincoln Avenue Elementary School (728 students), and Rosa Parks Community School (593 students). See the Orange Board of Education School District district page for the complete list.
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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.