Enrollment
617
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 340783002848
Jotham W. Wakeman School — Jersey City, NJ
Federal NCES profile for Jotham W. Wakeman School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 43/100.
👥 Class size 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 44
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Jersey City Public Schools · New Jersey
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jotham W. Wakeman School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Jotham W. Wakeman School reports 617 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 55.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% below the New Jersey state mean of 11.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 31% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 39.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 34% above the New Jersey average and 24% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 617 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Jersey City Public Schools spends $32,533 per pupil district-wide, above the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 38.5% from local sources (property taxes), 53.5% from the state, and 8.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Jotham W. Wakeman School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Jersey state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.9:1 | ▼ 8% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.6% | ▲ 34% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 617 | top 73% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
39.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 34% above 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
10.9:1
students per teacher
— 8% below state mean
Top 43% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
22.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$32,533
per pupil, district-wide
— above New Jersey avg of $29,189
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 617 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 617 Top 73% in New Jersey — larger than 27% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 55.0
Students per teacher 10.9:1 -8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 39.6% +34% vs state
NCES ID 340783002848
Student demographics
Asian 46.4%
Hispanic or Latino 31.0%
African American 10.4%
White 9.4%
Two or More 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 46.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 617:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.5%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jersey City Public Schools, which includes Jotham W. Wakeman School.
$32,533
Per student
+11%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+67%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 38.5%
State 53.5%
Federal 8.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,786
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,364
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,082
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Enrollment
- 926
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Enrollment
- 906
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
Similar other schools in Jersey City
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cornelia F. Bradford School
Standard public school
1,082 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Joseph H. Brensinger School
Standard public school
926 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Christa Mcauliffe School
Standard public school
906 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Mahatma K. Gandhi School
Standard public school
821 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Rafael Cordero Y Molina
Standard public school
794 students 10.2:1 students per teacher
Martin Luther King Jr. School
Standard public school
752 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Jotham W. Wakeman School
How many students attend Jotham W. Wakeman School?
Jotham W. Wakeman School has 617 students enrolled. It is a other school in JERSEY CITY, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jotham W. Wakeman School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jotham W. Wakeman School is 10.9:1, which is 8% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 31% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jotham W. Wakeman School?
39.6% of students at Jotham W. Wakeman School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jotham W. Wakeman School?
The largest demographic group at Jotham W. Wakeman School is Asian at 46.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in JERSEY CITY, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jotham W. Wakeman School?
Jotham W. Wakeman School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.