Enrollment
350
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waltham, MA
James Fitzgerald Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for James Fitzgerald Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 251200001970
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James Fitzgerald Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Massachusetts schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Waltham · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.5:1
- small classes for Massachusetts
- 350
- students enrolled
James Fitzgerald Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James Fitzgerald Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Waltham, MA.
School address
District: Waltham · Massachusetts
NCES ID 251200001970 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.5:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Fitzgerald Elementary School compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at James Fitzgerald Elementary School
James Fitzgerald Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Waltham, Massachusetts, enrolling 350 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.5:1, James Fitzgerald Elementary School is leaner than roughly 85% of Massachusetts schools and 23% under the state's 12.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
With 350 students, its enrollment sits close to the Massachusetts median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 1,831 Massachusetts schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 350 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Waltham's elementary schools, it stands alongside Douglas Macarthur Elementary School (475 students): James Fitzgerald Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.5:1 vs 11.6:1).
Waltham also operates Waltham Sr High (1,791 students) and John F Kennedy Middle (635 students) alongside James Fitzgerald 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 James Fitzgerald Elementary School compares
James Fitzgerald Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.5:1 | ▼ 23% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 350 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.5:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
350
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
9.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 15% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$26,713
per pupil, district-wide
- above Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 350 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 50.6%
Hispanic or Latino 34.6%
Asian 5.7%
Two or More 5.7%
African American 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 50.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, James Fitzgerald Elementary School is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waltham, which includes James Fitzgerald Elementary School.
$26,713
Per student
+19%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+61%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.4%
State 33.3%
Federal 6.3%
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 James Fitzgerald Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waltham Sr High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| John F Kennedy Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| John W. Mcdevitt Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northeast Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Douglas Macarthur Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James Fitzgerald Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,791
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 618
- Students per teacher
- 8.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 527
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 475
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Waltham
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Douglas Macarthur Elementary School
Standard public school
475 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Henry Whittemore Elementary School
Standard public school
372 students 9.3:1 students per teacher
Thomas R Plympton Elementary School
Standard public school
357 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Waltham Public Schools Dual Language Program
Standard public school
222 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~350 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Fitzgerald Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare James Fitzgerald Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Waltham'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 James Fitzgerald Elementary School
How many students attend James Fitzgerald Elementary School?
James Fitzgerald Elementary School has 350 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waltham, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Fitzgerald Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at James Fitzgerald Elementary School is 9.5:1, which is 23% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 39% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Fitzgerald Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at James Fitzgerald Elementary School is White at 50.6% of enrollment, in Waltham, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Fitzgerald Elementary School?
James Fitzgerald Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 James Fitzgerald Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Waltham?
By Resource Investment Index, James Fitzgerald Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Waltham, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Waltham on the city page.
Is James Fitzgerald Elementary School a good school?
James Fitzgerald Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Massachusetts schools. 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 Waltham?
Besides James Fitzgerald Elementary School, Waltham also operates Waltham Sr High (1,791 students), John F Kennedy Middle (635 students), and John W. Mcdevitt Middle School (618 students). See the Waltham 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.