Enrollment
774
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Newark, NJ
Louise a. Spencer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Louise a. Spencer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 341134002304
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Louise a. Spencer Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #36 of 42
- schools in Newark · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 77.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Louise a. Spencer Elementary School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Louise a. Spencer Elementary School ranks #36 of 42 schools in Newark, NJ.
School address
District: Newark Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341134002304 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
63.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.0%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+160% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Louise a. Spencer Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Louise a. Spencer Elementary School
Louise a. Spencer Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Newark, New Jersey, enrolling 774 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 77.0% of students qualify for free meals, 160% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 774 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 155 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #142, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and African American (32%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 774 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Newark's public schools, it stands alongside Great Oaks Legacy Charter School (2,169 students): Louise a. Spencer Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.3:1 vs 21.5:1).
Newark Public School District also operates East Side High School (2,046 students) and Barringer High School (1,894 students) alongside Louise a. Spencer 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 Louise a. Spencer Elementary School compares
Louise a. Spencer 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 | 12.3:1 | ▲ 4% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.0% | ▲ 160% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 774 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
774
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 160% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 66% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
38.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$25,301
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 774 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 64.7%
African American 32.4%
White 1.3%
Two or More 0.8%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 64.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.6, Louise a. Spencer Elementary School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newark Public School District, which includes Louise a. Spencer Elementary School.
$25,301
Per student
+1%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+52%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.8%
State 79.3%
Federal 9.9%
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 Louise a. Spencer Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Side High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Barringer High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ann Street School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lafayette Street School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| First Avenue School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Louise a. Spencer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,046
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,894
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,294
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,213
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,084
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools in Newark
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Great Oaks Legacy Charter School
Standard public school
2,169 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
East Ward Elementary School
Standard public school
854 students 19:1 students per teacher
Luis Munoz Marin Elementary School
Standard public school
818 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Park Elementary School
Standard public school
747 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Philip's Academy Charter School
Standard public school
730 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Salome Urena Elementary School
Standard public school
516 students 12.9:1 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 (~774 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Louise a. Spencer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Louise a. Spencer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Newark 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 Louise a. Spencer Elementary School
How many students attend Louise a. Spencer Elementary School?
Louise a. Spencer Elementary School has 774 students enrolled. It is a public school in Newark, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Louise a. Spencer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Louise a. Spencer Elementary School is 12.3:1, which is 4% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Louise a. Spencer Elementary School?
77.0% of students at Louise a. Spencer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Louise a. Spencer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Louise a. Spencer Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 64.7% of enrollment, in Newark, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Louise a. Spencer Elementary School?
Louise a. Spencer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower 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 Louise a. Spencer Elementary School rank among schools in Newark?
By Resource Investment Index, Louise a. Spencer Elementary School ranks #36 of 42 schools in Newark, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Newark on the city page.
Is Louise a. Spencer Elementary School a good school?
Louise a. Spencer Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median. 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 Newark Public School District?
Besides Louise a. Spencer Elementary School, Newark Public School District also operates East Side High School (2,046 students), Barringer High School (1,894 students), and Ann Street School (1,294 students). See the Newark 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.