Enrollment
564
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Union, NJ
Jefferson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Jefferson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341650005750
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jefferson Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of New Jersey schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Union · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 26.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Jefferson Elementary has class sizes larger than 84% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Union, NJ.
School address
District: Township of Union School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341650005750 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.3%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jefferson Elementary compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jefferson Elementary
Jefferson Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Union, New Jersey, enrolling 564 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 26.3% lands close to the New Jersey typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 564 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 464 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #401, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 564 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Township of Union School District also operates Union High School (2,410 students) and Burnet Middle School (970 students) alongside Jefferson Elementary.
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 Jefferson Elementary compares
Jefferson Elementary 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 | 13.8:1 | ▲ 17% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.3% | ▼ 11% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 564 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
564
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 84% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$21,117
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 564 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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
African American 43.1%
Hispanic or Latino 29.1%
White 16.5%
Asian 7.4%
Two or More 3.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 43.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.6, Jefferson Elementary is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Township of Union School District, which includes Jefferson Elementary.
$21,117
Per student
-15%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.7%
State 38.9%
Federal 8.4%
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 Jefferson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Burnet Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hannah Caldwell Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kawameeh Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jefferson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,410
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 970
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 812
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 578
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~564 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jefferson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Jefferson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Township of Union 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 Jefferson Elementary
How many students attend Jefferson Elementary?
Jefferson Elementary has 564 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Union, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elementary is 13.8:1, which is 17% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jefferson Elementary?
26.3% of students at Jefferson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jefferson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Jefferson Elementary is African American at 43.1% of enrollment, in Union, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson Elementary?
Jefferson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical 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 Jefferson Elementary rank among elementary schools in Union?
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Union, 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 Union on the city page.
Is Jefferson Elementary a good school?
Jefferson Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of New Jersey 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 Township of Union School District?
Besides Jefferson Elementary, Township of Union School District also operates Union High School (2,410 students), Burnet Middle School (970 students), and Hannah Caldwell Elementary (812 students). See the Township of Union 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.