Enrollment
715
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Clayton, NJ
Herma S. Simmons Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Herma S. Simmons Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 340318002500
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 96
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Herma S. Simmons Elementary School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Clayton · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.5:1
- students per teacher
- 37.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Herma S. Simmons Elementary School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Herma S. Simmons Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Clayton, NJ.
School address
District: Clayton Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340318002500 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.7%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Herma S. Simmons Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Herma S. Simmons Elementary School
Herma S. Simmons Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Clayton, New Jersey, enrolling 715 students.
At 11.5:1, 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 37.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 715 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 289 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #16, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 143 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Clayton Public School District also operates Clayton High School (431 students) and Clayton Middle School (299 students) alongside Herma S. Simmons 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 Herma S. Simmons Elementary School compares
Herma S. Simmons 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 3% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.7% | ▲ 27% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 715 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
715
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 53% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
1.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$21,790
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 143 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 45.2%
African American 23.9%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
Two or More 9.5%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 45.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.9, Herma S. Simmons Elementary School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clayton Public School District, which includes Herma S. Simmons Elementary School.
$21,790
Per student
-13%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.9%
State 57.7%
Federal 12.4%
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 Herma S. Simmons Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clayton Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Herma S. Simmons Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 70/100
- Enrollment
- 299
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 72/100
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 (~715 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Herma S. Simmons Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Herma S. Simmons Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Clayton 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 Herma S. Simmons Elementary School
How many students attend Herma S. Simmons Elementary School?
Herma S. Simmons Elementary School has 715 students enrolled. It is a public school in Clayton, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Herma S. Simmons Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Herma S. Simmons Elementary School is 11.5:1, which is 3% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 27% 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 Herma S. Simmons Elementary School?
37.7% of students at Herma S. Simmons Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Herma S. Simmons Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Herma S. Simmons Elementary School is White at 45.2% of enrollment, in Clayton, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Herma S. Simmons Elementary School?
Herma S. Simmons Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (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 Herma S. Simmons Elementary School rank among public schools in Clayton?
By Resource Investment Index, Herma S. Simmons Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Clayton, 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 Clayton on the city page.
Is Herma S. Simmons Elementary School a good school?
Herma S. Simmons Elementary School earns 63/100 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 Clayton Public School District?
Besides Herma S. Simmons Elementary School, Clayton Public School District also operates Clayton High School (431 students) and Clayton Middle School (299 students). See the Clayton 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.