Enrollment
367
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · South Plainfield, NJ
John E Riley Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for John E Riley Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 341536003638
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John E Riley Elementary School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #3 of 4
- schools in South Plainfield · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.1:1
- students per teacher
- 23.6%
- free-lunch eligible
John E Riley Elementary School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John E Riley Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in South Plainfield, NJ.
School address
District: South Plainfield School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341536003638 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John E Riley Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at John E Riley Elementary School
John E Riley Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in South Plainfield, New Jersey, enrolling 367 students.
At 11.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New Jersey median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 23.6% lands close to the New Jersey typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 367 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 529 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #208.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (32%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 367 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
11.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
South Plainfield School District also operates South Plainfield High School (1,044 students) and Grant Elementary School (568 students) alongside John E Riley 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 John E Riley Elementary School compares
John E Riley Elementary 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 | 11.1:1 | ▼ 6% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.6% | ▼ 20% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 367 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
367
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
11.1:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 45% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$23,119
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 367 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 45.5%
White 32.2%
African American 10.1%
Asian 7.1%
Two or More 4.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.2, John E Riley Elementary 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 South Plainfield School District, which includes John E Riley Elementary School.
$23,119
Per student
-7%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 65.0%
State 29.7%
Federal 5.3%
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 John E Riley Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Plainfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grant Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Plainfield Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Franklin Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John E Riley Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,044
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 553
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 68/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 270
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar other 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 (~367 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John E Riley Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare John E Riley Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- South Plainfield 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 John E Riley Elementary School
How many students attend John E Riley Elementary School?
John E Riley Elementary School has 367 students enrolled. It is a public school in South Plainfield, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John E Riley Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at John E Riley Elementary School is 11.1:1, which is 6% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 29% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John E Riley Elementary School?
23.6% of students at John E Riley Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John E Riley Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at John E Riley Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 45.5% of enrollment, in South Plainfield, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John E Riley Elementary School?
John E Riley Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 John E Riley Elementary School rank among schools in South Plainfield?
By Resource Investment Index, John E Riley Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in South Plainfield, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in South Plainfield on the city page.
Is John E Riley Elementary School a good school?
John E Riley Elementary School earns 56/100 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 South Plainfield School District?
Besides John E Riley Elementary School, South Plainfield School District also operates South Plainfield High School (1,044 students), Grant Elementary School (568 students), and South Plainfield Middle School (553 students). See the South Plainfield School District district page for the complete list.
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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.