Enrollment
1,315
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mays Landing, NJ
George L. Hess Educational Complex
Federal NCES profile for George L. Hess Educational Complex, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 340651000015
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
George L. Hess Educational Complex earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New Jersey.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Mays Landing · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.2:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 45.3%
- free-lunch eligible
George L. Hess Educational Complex has class sizes smaller than 70% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, George L. Hess Educational Complex ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Mays Landing, NJ.
School address
District: Hamilton Township School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340651000015 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
129.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.3%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How George L. Hess Educational Complex compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at George L. Hess Educational Complex
George L. Hess Educational Complex is a large elementary school in Mays Landing, New Jersey, enrolling 1,315 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 45.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Jersey, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,315 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 72 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #52, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (32%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 658 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Hamilton Township School District also operates William Davies Middle School (943 students) and Joseph C Shaner Memorial Elementary School (602 students) alongside George L. Hess Educational Complex.
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 George L. Hess Educational Complex compares
George L. Hess Educational Complex 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 | 10.2:1 | ▼ 14% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.3% | ▲ 53% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,315 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.2:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,315
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.2:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 30% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$20,835
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 658 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
151
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.9 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 31.7%
Hispanic or Latino 28.4%
African American 25.6%
Two or More 8.9%
Asian 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 31.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.3, George L. Hess Educational Complex is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hamilton Township School District, which includes George L. Hess Educational Complex.
$20,835
Per student
-17%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.0%
State 57.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 George L. Hess Educational Complex Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Davies Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Joseph C Shaner Memorial Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to George L. Hess Educational Complex's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 943
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 602
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~1,315 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on George L. Hess Educational Complex's federal record.
- Compare George L. Hess Educational Complex against another school. Compare schools
- Hamilton 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 George L. Hess Educational Complex
How many students attend George L. Hess Educational Complex?
George L. Hess Educational Complex has 1,315 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mays Landing, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at George L. Hess Educational Complex?
The student-teacher ratio at George L. Hess Educational Complex is 10.2:1, which is 14% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 35% 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 George L. Hess Educational Complex?
45.3% of students at George L. Hess Educational Complex are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of George L. Hess Educational Complex?
The largest demographic group at George L. Hess Educational Complex is White at 31.7% of enrollment, in Mays Landing, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for George L. Hess Educational Complex?
George L. Hess Educational Complex has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 George L. Hess Educational Complex rank among public schools in Mays Landing?
By Resource Investment Index, George L. Hess Educational Complex ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Mays Landing, 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 Mays Landing on the city page.
Is George L. Hess Educational Complex a good school?
George L. Hess Educational Complex earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New Jersey. 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 Hamilton Township School District?
Besides George L. Hess Educational Complex, Hamilton Township School District also operates William Davies Middle School (943 students) and Joseph C Shaner Memorial Elementary School (602 students). See the Hamilton Township 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.