Enrollment
97
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hamilton, NJ
Joseph F. Cappello School
Federal NCES profile for Joseph F. Cappello School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 65/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 348020005952
👥 S:T ratio 76
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 90
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Joseph F. Cappello School earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in New Jersey.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Hamilton · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 6.1:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 28.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Joseph F. Cappello School has class sizes smaller than 98% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Joseph F. Cappello School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Hamilton, NJ.
School address
NCES ID 348020005952 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-48% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.4%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joseph F. Cappello School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Joseph F. Cappello School
Joseph F. Cappello School is a small combined-grade school in Hamilton, New Jersey, enrolling 97 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6.1:1, Joseph F. Cappello School is leaner than roughly 98% of New Jersey schools and 48% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 28.4% lands close to the New Jersey typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of New Jersey schools, with 97 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 38 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #10.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (43%) and African American (38%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 49 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Mercer County Special Services School District also operates Mercer High School (200 students) and Mercer Elementary School (141 students) alongside Joseph F. Cappello 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 Joseph F. Cappello School compares
Joseph F. Cappello 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 | 6.1:1 | ▼ 48% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.4% | ▼ 4% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 97 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6.1:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
97
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
6.1:1
students per teacher
- 48% below state mean
Top 2% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 49 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
Hispanic or Latino 43.3%
African American 38.1%
Asian 8.2%
White 7.2%
Two or More 3.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 43.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.4, Joseph F. Cappello School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
How Joseph F. Cappello School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mercer Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Regional Day School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Joseph F. Cappello School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 200
- Students per teacher
- 5.9:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
- Enrollment
- 141
- Students per teacher
- 5.6:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
- Enrollment
- 1
- Students per teacher
- -
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 (~97 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~6.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Joseph F. Cappello School's federal record.
- Compare Joseph F. Cappello School against another school. Compare schools
- Mercer County Special Services 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 Joseph F. Cappello School
How many students attend Joseph F. Cappello School?
Joseph F. Cappello School has 97 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Hamilton, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joseph F. Cappello School?
The student-teacher ratio at Joseph F. Cappello School is 6.1:1, which is 48% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 61% 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 Joseph F. Cappello School?
28.4% of students at Joseph F. Cappello School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joseph F. Cappello School?
The largest demographic group at Joseph F. Cappello School is Hispanic or Latino at 43.3% of enrollment, in Hamilton, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joseph F. Cappello School?
Joseph F. Cappello School has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Joseph F. Cappello School rank among public schools in Hamilton?
By Resource Investment Index, Joseph F. Cappello School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Hamilton, 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 Hamilton on the city page.
Is Joseph F. Cappello School a good school?
Joseph F. Cappello School earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in New Jersey. 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 Mercer County Special Services School District?
Besides Joseph F. Cappello School, Mercer County Special Services School District also operates Mercer High School (200 students), Mercer Elementary School (141 students), and Regional Day School (1 students). See the Mercer County Special Services 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.