Enrollment
239
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · East Hanover, NJ
Frank J Smith Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Frank J Smith Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 66/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 340417004226
👥 S:T ratio 66
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Frank J Smith Elementary earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in East Hanover · Resource Index
- 66
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.5:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 2.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Frank J Smith Elementary has class sizes smaller than 90% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Frank J Smith Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in East Hanover, NJ.
School address
District: East Hanover Township School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340417004226 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
2.1%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-93% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Frank J Smith Elementary compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Frank J Smith Elementary
Frank J Smith Elementary is a lower-poverty, small elementary school in East Hanover, New Jersey, enrolling 239 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.5:1, Frank J Smith Elementary is leaner than roughly 90% of New Jersey schools and 28% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 2.1% free-meal eligibility runs 93% below the New Jersey average.
Enrollment of 239 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 295 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #55.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 239 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
East Hanover Township School District also operates Central Elementary School (439 students) and East Hanover Middle School (325 students) alongside Frank J Smith Elementary.
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 Frank J Smith Elementary compares
Frank J Smith Elementary 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 | 8.5:1 | ▼ 28% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 2.1% | ▼ 93% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 239 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.5:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
239
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
2.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 93% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
8.5:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 10% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$27,943
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 239 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
White 63.2%
Hispanic or Latino 19.2%
Asian 13.0%
Two or More 2.9%
African American 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 63.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.6, Frank J Smith Elementary is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Hanover Township School District, which includes Frank J Smith Elementary.
$27,943
Per student
+12%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+68%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 74.8%
State 20.4%
Federal 4.8%
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 Frank J Smith Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Hanover Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Frank J Smith Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 325
- Students per teacher
- 8.6:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
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 (~239 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Frank J Smith Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Frank J Smith Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- East Hanover Township 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 Frank J Smith Elementary
How many students attend Frank J Smith Elementary?
Frank J Smith Elementary has 239 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in East Hanover, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Frank J Smith Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Frank J Smith Elementary is 8.5:1, which is 28% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 46% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Frank J Smith Elementary?
2.1% of students at Frank J Smith Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Frank J Smith Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Frank J Smith Elementary is White at 63.2% of enrollment, in East Hanover, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Frank J Smith Elementary?
Frank J Smith Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (higher 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 Frank J Smith Elementary rank among public schools in East Hanover?
By Resource Investment Index, Frank J Smith Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in East Hanover, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in East Hanover on the city page.
Is Frank J Smith Elementary a good school?
Frank J Smith Elementary earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% 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 East Hanover Township School District?
Besides Frank J Smith Elementary, East Hanover Township School District also operates Central Elementary School (439 students) and East Hanover Middle School (325 students). See the East Hanover Township 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.