Enrollment
256
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · South Plainfield, NJ
John F Kennedy Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for John F Kennedy Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 341536003636
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John F Kennedy Elementary School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in South Plainfield · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.2:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 13.2%
- free-lunch eligible
John F Kennedy Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 70% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John F Kennedy Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 schools in South Plainfield, NJ.
School address
District: South Plainfield School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341536003636 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.2%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John F Kennedy Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at John F Kennedy Elementary School
John F Kennedy Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in South Plainfield, New Jersey, enrolling 256 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 13.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 256 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 456 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #91.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 256 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
South Plainfield School District also operates South Plainfield High School (1,044 students) and Grant Elementary School (568 students) alongside John F Kennedy 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 F Kennedy Elementary School compares
John F Kennedy 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 | 10.2:1 | ▼ 14% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.2% | ▼ 55% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 256 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.2:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
256
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
10.2:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 30% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
8.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 256 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
- 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 43.8%
Hispanic or Latino 28.5%
Asian 15.6%
African American 7.0%
Two or More 3.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
Largest group: White at 43.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.6, John F Kennedy 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 F Kennedy 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 F Kennedy 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 |
| John E Riley Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John F Kennedy 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
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~256 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John F Kennedy Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare John F Kennedy 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 F Kennedy Elementary School
How many students attend John F Kennedy Elementary School?
John F Kennedy Elementary School has 256 students enrolled. It is a public school in South Plainfield, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John F Kennedy Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at John F Kennedy Elementary School is 10.2:1, which is 14% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 35% 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 F Kennedy Elementary School?
13.2% of students at John F Kennedy 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 F Kennedy Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at John F Kennedy Elementary School is White at 43.8% of enrollment, in South Plainfield, 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 John F Kennedy Elementary School?
John F Kennedy Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (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 F Kennedy Elementary School rank among schools in South Plainfield?
By Resource Investment Index, John F Kennedy Elementary School ranks #1 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 F Kennedy Elementary School a good school?
John F Kennedy Elementary School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% 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 South Plainfield School District?
Besides John F Kennedy 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.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in New Jersey
All public schools in New Jersey
South Plainfield School District
All schools in this district
Schools in South Plainfield
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.