Enrollment
326
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tenafly, NJ
J Spencer Smith School
Federal NCES profile for J Spencer Smith School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341611000866
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
J Spencer Smith School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Tenafly · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- students per teacher
- 0.9%
- free-lunch eligible
J Spencer Smith School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, J Spencer Smith School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Tenafly, NJ.
School address
District: Tenafly Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341611000866 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
0.9%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-97% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J Spencer Smith School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at J Spencer Smith School
J Spencer Smith School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Tenafly, New Jersey, enrolling 326 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.1:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 0.9% free-meal eligibility runs 97% below the New Jersey average.
Enrollment of 326 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 484 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #128.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Asian (35%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 326 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Tenafly Public School District also operates Tenafly High School (1,141 students) and Tenafly Middle School (916 students) alongside J Spencer Smith 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 J Spencer Smith School compares
J Spencer Smith 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 | 12.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 0.9% | ▼ 97% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 326 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
326
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
0.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 97% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 63% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
3.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$24,567
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 326 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 55.5%
Asian 34.7%
Two or More 5.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 55.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.7, J Spencer Smith School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tenafly Public School District, which includes J Spencer Smith School.
$24,567
Per student
-2%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+48%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 74.3%
State 23.3%
Federal 2.4%
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 J Spencer Smith School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenafly High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tenafly Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ralph S Maugham School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Malcolm S Mackay School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walter Stillman School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to J Spencer Smith School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 68/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 358
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 349
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 314
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
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 (~326 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on J Spencer Smith School's federal record.
- Compare J Spencer Smith School against another school. Compare schools
- Tenafly 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 J Spencer Smith School
How many students attend J Spencer Smith School?
J Spencer Smith School has 326 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tenafly, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J Spencer Smith School?
The student-teacher ratio at J Spencer Smith School is 12.1:1, which is 3% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at J Spencer Smith School?
0.9% of students at J Spencer Smith School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J Spencer Smith School?
The largest demographic group at J Spencer Smith School is White at 55.5% of enrollment, in Tenafly, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J Spencer Smith School?
J Spencer Smith School has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (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 J Spencer Smith School rank among elementary schools in Tenafly?
By Resource Investment Index, J Spencer Smith School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Tenafly, 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 Tenafly on the city page.
Is J Spencer Smith School a good school?
J Spencer Smith School earns 62/100 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 Tenafly Public School District?
Besides J Spencer Smith School, Tenafly Public School District also operates Tenafly High School (1,141 students), Tenafly Middle School (916 students), and Ralph S Maugham School (358 students). See the Tenafly 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.