Enrollment
326
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Long Branch, NJ
Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center
Federal NCES profile for Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 340894000333
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of New Jersey schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Long Branch · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.6:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 56.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center has class sizes larger than 82% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center ranks #2 of 3 schools in Long Branch, NJ.
School address
District: Long Branch Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340894000333 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.4%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+91% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center
Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Long Branch, New Jersey, enrolling 326 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.6:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 56.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 326 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 213 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #122.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and White (33%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 326 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
10.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Long Branch Public School District also operates Long Branch High School (1,500 students) and Long Branch Middle School (1,142 students) alongside Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood 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 Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center compares
Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood 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 | 13.6:1 | ▲ 15% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.4% | ▲ 91% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 326 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
326
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 91% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 82% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.1%
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
$26,995
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 326 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 59.8%
White 32.8%
African American 4.3%
Two or More 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.2, Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Long Branch Public School District, which includes Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center.
$26,995
Per student
+8%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+63%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.3%
State 55.1%
Federal 10.7%
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 Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Branch High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Long Branch Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| George L Catrambone | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| A a Anastasia Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gregory Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,500
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,142
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 686
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 573
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~326 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center's federal record.
- Compare Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center against another school. Compare schools
- Long Branch Public 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 M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center
How many students attend Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center?
Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center has 326 students enrolled. It is a public school in Long Branch, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center is 13.6:1, which is 15% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center?
56.4% of students at Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center is Hispanic or Latino at 59.8% of enrollment, in Long Branch, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center?
Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical 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 Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center rank among schools in Long Branch?
By Resource Investment Index, Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center ranks #2 of 3 schools in Long Branch, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Long Branch on the city page.
Is Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center a good school?
Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Long Branch Public School District?
Besides Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center, Long Branch Public School District also operates Long Branch High School (1,500 students), Long Branch Middle School (1,142 students), and George L Catrambone (686 students). See the Long Branch Public 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.