Enrollment
201
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Morris Plains, NJ
Mountain Way School
Federal NCES profile for Mountain Way School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 341077004362
👥 S:T ratio 68
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mountain Way School earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of New Jersey schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Morris Plains · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 6.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Mountain Way School has class sizes smaller than 93% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mountain Way School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Morris Plains, NJ.
School address
District: Morris Plains School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341077004362 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.1%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mountain Way School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mountain Way School
Mountain Way School is a lower-poverty, small combined-grade school in Morris Plains, New Jersey, enrolling 201 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8:1, Mountain Way School is leaner than roughly 93% of New Jersey schools and 32% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 6.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 201 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 202 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #90.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 48/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Morris Plains's public schools, it stands alongside Littleton Elementary School (392 students): Mountain Way School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8:1 vs 14.5:1).
Its district, Morris Plains School District, also runs Morris Plains Borough School (398 students).
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 Mountain Way School compares
Mountain Way 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 | 8:1 | ▼ 32% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.1% | ▼ 79% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 201 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
201
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% 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
8:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 7% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
7.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$26,287
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
White 70.1%
Hispanic or Latino 13.4%
Asian 7.0%
African American 4.5%
Two or More 4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 70.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.2, Mountain Way School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Morris Plains School District, which includes Mountain Way School.
$26,287
Per student
+5%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+58%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 78.2%
State 18.8%
Federal 3.0%
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 Mountain Way School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morris Plains Borough School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mountain Way School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar other schools in Morris Plains
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~201 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mountain Way School's federal record.
- Compare Mountain Way School against another school. Compare schools
- Morris Plains 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 Mountain Way School
How many students attend Mountain Way School?
Mountain Way School has 201 students enrolled. It is a public school in Morris Plains, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mountain Way School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mountain Way School is 8:1, which is 32% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 49% 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 Mountain Way School?
6.1% of students at Mountain Way School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mountain Way School?
The largest demographic group at Mountain Way School is White at 70.1% of enrollment, in Morris Plains, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mountain Way School?
Mountain Way School has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mountain Way School rank among public schools in Morris Plains?
By Resource Investment Index, Mountain Way School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Morris Plains, 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 Morris Plains on the city page.
Is Mountain Way School a good school?
Mountain Way School earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% 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 Morris Plains School District?
Besides Mountain Way School, Morris Plains School District also operates Morris Plains Borough School (398 students). See the Morris Plains 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.