Enrollment
322
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 341284005052
Paul W Carleton — Penns Grove, NJ
Federal NCES profile for Paul W Carleton, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 42/100.
👥 Class size 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 15
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
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)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.7%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+102% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paul W Carleton 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
Paul W Carleton reports 322 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 26.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 10% above the New Jersey state mean of 11.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 18% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 59.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 102% above the New Jersey average and 15% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 322 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 33.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District spends $23,873 per pupil district-wide, below the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 21.7% from local sources (property taxes), 66.6% from the state, and 11.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Paul W Carleton 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 | 13.1:1 | ▲ 10% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.7% | ▲ 102% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 322 | top 30% | — | — |
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
59.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 102% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.1:1
students per teacher
— 10% above state mean
Top 78% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
33.9%
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
$23,873
per pupil, district-wide
— below 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 322 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 322 Top 30% in New Jersey — larger than 70% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 26.0
Students per teacher 13.1:1 +10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 59.7% +102% vs state
NCES ID 341284005052
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 45.7%
African American 37.9%
White 14.9%
Two or More 1.2%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 322:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 33.9%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 19
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District, which includes Paul W Carleton.
$23,873
Per student
-18%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 21.7%
State 66.6%
Federal 11.6%
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
- 632
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Enrollment
- 463
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Enrollment
- 452
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Enrollment
- 313
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
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 Paul W Carleton
How many students attend Paul W Carleton?
Paul W Carleton has 322 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in PENNS GROVE, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paul W Carleton?
The student-teacher ratio at Paul W Carleton is 13.1:1, which is 10% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Paul W Carleton?
59.7% of students at Paul W Carleton are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paul W Carleton?
The largest demographic group at Paul W Carleton is Hispanic or Latino at 45.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in PENNS GROVE, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paul W Carleton?
Paul W Carleton has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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.