Enrollment
705
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fords, NJ
Lafayette Estates Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Lafayette Estates Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341812003706
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lafayette Estates Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of New Jersey schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Fords · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.7:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 36.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Lafayette Estates Elementary School has class sizes larger than 98% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lafayette Estates Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Fords, NJ.
School address
District: Woodbridge Township School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341812003706 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+75% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lafayette Estates Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lafayette Estates Elementary School
Lafayette Estates Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Fords, New Jersey, enrolling 705 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.7:1 is larger than about 98% of New Jersey schools and 75% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 36.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 705 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 303 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #240, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and Asian (25%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 705 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
10.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Fords's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dual Language School (384 students): Lafayette Estates Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.7:1 vs 15.4:1).
Woodbridge Township School District also operates Woodbridge High School (1,681 students) and John F. Kennedy Memorial High School (1,405 students) alongside Lafayette Estates 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 Lafayette Estates Elementary School compares
Lafayette Estates 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 | 20.7:1 | ▲ 75% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.6% | ▲ 24% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 705 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
705
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 75% above state mean
Top 98% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
10.2%
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
$22,601
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 705 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 47.5%
Asian 25.0%
White 14.6%
African American 11.2%
Two or More 1.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.8, Lafayette Estates Elementary School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Woodbridge Township School District, which includes Lafayette Estates Elementary School.
$22,601
Per student
-10%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.9%
State 36.9%
Federal 5.2%
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 Lafayette Estates Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodbridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John F. Kennedy Memorial High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colonia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Iselin Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fords Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lafayette Estates Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,681
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,405
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,354
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 794
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 645
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar elementary schools in Fords
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~705 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lafayette Estates Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Lafayette Estates Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Woodbridge Township 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 Lafayette Estates Elementary School
How many students attend Lafayette Estates Elementary School?
Lafayette Estates Elementary School has 705 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fords, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lafayette Estates Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lafayette Estates Elementary School is 20.7:1, which is 75% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lafayette Estates Elementary School?
36.6% of students at Lafayette Estates Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lafayette Estates Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Lafayette Estates Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 47.5% of enrollment, in Fords, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lafayette Estates Elementary School?
Lafayette Estates Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Lafayette Estates Elementary School rank among public schools in Fords?
By Resource Investment Index, Lafayette Estates Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Fords, 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 Fords on the city page.
Is Lafayette Estates Elementary School a good school?
Lafayette Estates Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Woodbridge Township School District?
Besides Lafayette Estates Elementary School, Woodbridge Township School District also operates Woodbridge High School (1,681 students), John F. Kennedy Memorial High School (1,405 students), and Colonia High School (1,354 students). See the Woodbridge Township 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.