Enrollment
441
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Freehold, NJ
Laura Donovan School
Federal NCES profile for Laura Donovan School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 340564003820
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Laura Donovan School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of New Jersey schools.
- #2 of 6
- elementary schools in Freehold · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 13.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Laura Donovan School has class sizes smaller than 73% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laura Donovan School ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Freehold, NJ.
School address
District: Freehold Township School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340564003820 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.8%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Laura Donovan School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laura Donovan School
Laura Donovan School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Freehold, New Jersey, enrolling 441 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 13.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 441 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 788 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #418.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 441 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Freehold's elementary schools, it stands alongside Park Avenue Elementary School (463 students): Laura Donovan School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (10:1 vs 8.6:1).
Freehold Township School District also operates Dwight D. Eisenhower School (582 students) and Clifton T. Barkalow School (574 students) alongside Laura Donovan 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 Laura Donovan School compares
Laura Donovan 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 | 10:1 | ▼ 15% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.8% | ▼ 53% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 441 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
441
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% 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
10:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 27% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.3%
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
$25,994
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 441 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 66.9%
Hispanic or Latino 25.2%
Asian 3.4%
Two or More 2.9%
African American 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.7, Laura Donovan 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 Freehold Township School District, which includes Laura Donovan School.
$25,994
Per student
+4%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+57%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.8%
State 22.2%
Federal 5.0%
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.
How Laura Donovan School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clifton T. Barkalow School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Marshall W. Errickson School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Freehold School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Joseph J Catena School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Laura Donovan School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 582
- Students per teacher
- 8.3:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 574
- Students per teacher
- 8.2:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 447
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar elementary schools in Freehold
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 (~441 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laura Donovan School's federal record.
- Compare Laura Donovan School against another school. Compare schools
- Freehold 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 Laura Donovan School
How many students attend Laura Donovan School?
Laura Donovan School has 441 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Freehold, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laura Donovan School?
The student-teacher ratio at Laura Donovan School is 10:1, which is 15% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 36% 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 Laura Donovan School?
13.8% of students at Laura Donovan School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laura Donovan School?
The largest demographic group at Laura Donovan School is White at 66.9% of enrollment, in Freehold, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laura Donovan School?
Laura Donovan School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Laura Donovan School rank among elementary schools in Freehold?
By Resource Investment Index, Laura Donovan School ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Freehold, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Freehold on the city page.
Is Laura Donovan School a good school?
Laura Donovan School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Freehold Township School District?
Besides Laura Donovan School, Freehold Township School District also operates Dwight D. Eisenhower School (582 students), Clifton T. Barkalow School (574 students), and Marshall W. Errickson School (464 students). See the Freehold 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.