Enrollment
325
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ramsey, NJ
John Y Dater Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for John Y Dater Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 72/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341359000734
👥 S:T ratio 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John Y Dater Elementary School earns 72/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Ramsey · Resource Index
- 72
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.8:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 5.2%
- free-lunch eligible
John Y Dater Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 88% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John Y Dater Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Ramsey, NJ.
School address
District: Ramsey School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341359000734 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
5.2%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-82% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John Y Dater Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at John Y Dater Elementary School
John Y Dater Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Ramsey, New Jersey, enrolling 325 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.8:1, John Y Dater Elementary School is leaner than roughly 88% of New Jersey schools and 25% 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 5.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 325 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 544 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #11, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Asian (8%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 159 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Ramsey School District also operates Ramsey High School (739 students) and Eric S. Smith Middle School (613 students) alongside John Y Dater 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 Y Dater Elementary School compares
John Y Dater 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 | 8.8:1 | ▼ 25% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 5.2% | ▼ 82% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 325 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.8:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
325
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
5.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 82% 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
8.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 12% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$28,937
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 159 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 76.6%
Asian 8.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 2.2%
Largest group: White at 76.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.7, John Y Dater Elementary School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ramsey School District, which includes John Y Dater Elementary School.
$28,937
Per student
+16%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+74%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.8%
State 20.9%
Federal 2.3%
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 Y Dater Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsey High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eric S. Smith Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mary a. Hubbard Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wesley D Tisdale Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John Y Dater Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 739
- Students per teacher
- 9.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 8.2:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
- Enrollment
- 331
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 302
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~325 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John Y Dater Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare John Y Dater Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ramsey 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 Y Dater Elementary School
How many students attend John Y Dater Elementary School?
John Y Dater Elementary School has 325 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ramsey, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John Y Dater Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at John Y Dater Elementary School is 8.8:1, which is 25% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 44% 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 Y Dater Elementary School?
5.2% of students at John Y Dater 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 Y Dater Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at John Y Dater Elementary School is White at 76.6% of enrollment, in Ramsey, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John Y Dater Elementary School?
John Y Dater Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 72/100 (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 Y Dater Elementary School rank among public schools in Ramsey?
By Resource Investment Index, John Y Dater Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Ramsey, 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 Ramsey on the city page.
Is John Y Dater Elementary School a good school?
John Y Dater Elementary School earns 72/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% 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 Ramsey School District?
Besides John Y Dater Elementary School, Ramsey School District also operates Ramsey High School (739 students), Eric S. Smith Middle School (613 students), and Mary a. Hubbard Elementary School (331 students). See the Ramsey 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.