Enrollment
577
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 341293000551
Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center — Perth Amboy, NJ
Federal NCES profile for Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Perth Amboy Public School District · New Jersey
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.1%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+90% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center reports 577 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 60.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 15% above the New Jersey state mean of 11.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 14% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 56.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 90% above the New Jersey average and 8% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Perth Amboy Public School District spends $42,071 per pupil district-wide, above the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 9.0% from local sources (property taxes), 83.9% from the state, and 7.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), calculated from 2 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Jersey state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▲ 15% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.1% | ▲ 90% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 577 | top 69% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
56.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 90% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
— 15% above state mean
Top 84% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$42,071
per pupil, district-wide
— above New Jersey avg of $29,189
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting 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 + 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
Enrollment 577 Top 69% in New Jersey — larger than 31% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 60.0
Students per teacher 13.7:1 +15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 56.1% +90% vs state
NCES ID 341293000551
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 93.9%
African American 4.3%
White 0.9%
Asian 0.5%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Perth Amboy Public School District, which includes Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center.
$42,071
Per student
+44%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+116%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 9.0%
State 83.9%
Federal 7.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,769
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 984
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Enrollment
- 941
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 793
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Enrollment
- 649
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
Similar other schools in Perth Amboy
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center
How many students attend Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center?
Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center has 577 students enrolled. It is a other school in PERTH AMBOY, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center is 13.7:1, which is 15% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center?
56.1% of students at Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center?
The largest demographic group at Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center is Hispanic or Latino at 93.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in PERTH AMBOY, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center?
Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.