Enrollment
526
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 341467005686
J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School — Scotch Plains, NJ
Federal NCES profile for J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 67/100.
👥 Class size 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 85
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: Scotch Plains-Fanwood 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)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
1.3%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-96% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School 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
J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School reports 526 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 39.0 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: 1.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 96% below the New Jersey average and 97% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 6.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District spends $22,894 per pupil district-wide, below the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 74.7% from local sources (property taxes), 23.2% from the state, and 2.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (B-), calculated from 3 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 J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School 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 | 1.3% | ▼ 96% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 526 | top 64% | — | — |
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
1.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 96% below 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
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.
Engagement
6.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$22,894
per pupil, district-wide
— below 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 526 Top 64% in New Jersey — larger than 36% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 39.0
Students per teacher 13.7:1 +15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 1.3% -96% vs state
NCES ID 341467005686
Student demographics
White 62.5%
Asian 13.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.8%
Two or More 6.3%
African American 5.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 62.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 6.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District, which includes J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School.
$22,894
Per student
-22%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+17%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 74.7%
State 23.2%
Federal 2.1%
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
- 1,562
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Enrollment
- 822
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
Similar other schools in Scotch Plains
3 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 J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School
How many students attend J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School?
J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School has 526 students enrolled. It is a other school in SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School 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 J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School?
1.3% of students at J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School is White at 62.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School?
J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (B-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.