Enrollment
306
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Manalapan, NJ
John I. Dawes Early Learning Center
Federal NCES profile for John I. Dawes Early Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 340939002941
👥 S:T ratio 64
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John I. Dawes Early Learning Center earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Manalapan · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 7.2%
- free-lunch eligible
John I. Dawes Early Learning Center has class sizes smaller than 87% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John I. Dawes Early Learning Center ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Manalapan, NJ.
School address
NCES ID 340939002941 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.2%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John I. Dawes Early Learning Center compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at John I. Dawes Early Learning Center
John I. Dawes Early Learning Center is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Manalapan, New Jersey, enrolling 306 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9:1, John I. Dawes Early Learning Center is leaner than roughly 87% of New Jersey schools and 24% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 7.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 306 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 527 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #324.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 306 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District also operates Manalapan-Englishtown Middle School (1,207 students) and Taylor Mills School (533 students) alongside John I. Dawes Early Learning Center.
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 I. Dawes Early Learning Center compares
John I. Dawes Early Learning Center 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 | 9:1 | ▼ 24% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.2% | ▼ 76% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 306 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
306
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% 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
9:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 13% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$21,566
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 306 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 64.7%
Hispanic or Latino 15.4%
Asian 11.1%
Two or More 4.9%
African American 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 64.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.2, John I. Dawes Early Learning Center is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District, which includes John I. Dawes Early Learning Center.
$21,566
Per student
-14%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 65.4%
State 29.8%
Federal 4.9%
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 I. Dawes Early Learning Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manalapan-Englishtown Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taylor Mills School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Milford Brook School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wemrock Brook School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine Brook School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John I. Dawes Early Learning Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,207
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 533
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 513
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~306 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John I. Dawes Early Learning Center's federal record.
- Compare John I. Dawes Early Learning Center against another school. Compare schools
- Manalapan-Englishtown Regional 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 I. Dawes Early Learning Center
How many students attend John I. Dawes Early Learning Center?
John I. Dawes Early Learning Center has 306 students enrolled. It is a public school in Manalapan, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John I. Dawes Early Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at John I. Dawes Early Learning Center is 9:1, which is 24% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 43% 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 I. Dawes Early Learning Center?
7.2% of students at John I. Dawes Early Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John I. Dawes Early Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at John I. Dawes Early Learning Center is White at 64.7% of enrollment, in Manalapan, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John I. Dawes Early Learning Center?
John I. Dawes Early Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 I. Dawes Early Learning Center rank among public schools in Manalapan?
By Resource Investment Index, John I. Dawes Early Learning Center ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Manalapan, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Manalapan on the city page.
Is John I. Dawes Early Learning Center a good school?
John I. Dawes Early Learning Center earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% 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 Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District?
Besides John I. Dawes Early Learning Center, Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District also operates Manalapan-Englishtown Middle School (1,207 students), Taylor Mills School (533 students), and Milford Brook School (516 students). See the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional 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
Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District
All schools in this district
Schools in Manalapan
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.