Enrollment
198
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Plainfield, NJ
Frederic W. Cook Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Frederic W. Cook Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341314005616
👥 S:T ratio 72
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Frederic W. Cook Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of New Jersey schools.
- #3 of 6
- elementary schools in Plainfield · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.1:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 65.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Frederic W. Cook Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 96% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Frederic W. Cook Elementary School ranks #3 of 6 elementary schools in Plainfield, NJ.
School address
District: Plainfield Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341314005616 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+122% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Frederic W. Cook Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Frederic W. Cook Elementary School
Frederic W. Cook Elementary School is a higher-need, small elementary school in Plainfield, New Jersey, enrolling 198 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.1:1, Frederic W. Cook Elementary School is leaner than roughly 96% of New Jersey schools and 40% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 65.6% of students qualify for free meals, 122% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 198 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 63 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #59, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (40%) (diversity index 55/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.0% 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): Frederic W. Cook Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.1:1 vs 17.3:1).
Plainfield Public School District also operates Plainfield High School (2,077 students) and Hubbard Middle School (737 students) alongside Frederic W. Cook 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 Frederic W. Cook Elementary School compares
Frederic W. Cook 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 | 7.1:1 | ▼ 40% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.6% | ▲ 122% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 198 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.1:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
198
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 122% 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
7.1:1
students per teacher
- 40% below state mean
Top 4% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
49.0%
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 + 2 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
African American 54.0%
Hispanic or Latino 39.9%
White 2.5%
Two or More 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.5%
Largest group: African American at 54.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.8, Frederic W. Cook Elementary School is more 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 Frederic W. Cook Elementary 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 Frederic W. Cook Elementary 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maxson Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cedarbrook Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Community School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Frederic W. Cook Elementary 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 (~198 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Frederic W. Cook Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Frederic W. Cook Elementary 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 Frederic W. Cook Elementary School
How many students attend Frederic W. Cook Elementary School?
Frederic W. Cook Elementary School has 198 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Plainfield, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Frederic W. Cook Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Frederic W. Cook Elementary School is 7.1:1, which is 40% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 55% 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 Frederic W. Cook Elementary School?
65.6% of students at Frederic W. Cook Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Frederic W. Cook Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Frederic W. Cook Elementary School is African American at 54.0% of enrollment, in Plainfield, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Frederic W. Cook Elementary School?
Frederic W. Cook Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Frederic W. Cook Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Plainfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Frederic W. Cook Elementary School ranks #3 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 Frederic W. Cook Elementary School a good school?
Frederic W. Cook Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Plainfield Public School District?
Besides Frederic W. Cook Elementary 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.