Enrollment
476
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Manchester, NJ
Ridgeway Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ridgeway Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 340945004662
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ridgeway Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of New Jersey schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Manchester · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.7:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 39.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Ridgeway Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 78% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgeway Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Manchester, NJ.
School address
District: Manchester Township School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340945004662 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.7:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.5%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ridgeway Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ridgeway Elementary School
Ridgeway Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Manchester, New Jersey, enrolling 476 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 39.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 476 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 366 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #159.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and White (37%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 476 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Manchester Township School District also operates Manchester Township High School (947 students) and Manchester Township Middle School (586 students) alongside Ridgeway 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 Ridgeway Elementary School compares
Ridgeway 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 | 9.7:1 | ▼ 18% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.5% | ▲ 33% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 476 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.7:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
476
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
9.7:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 22% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.4%
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
$24,614
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 476 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 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 44.5%
White 36.8%
African American 10.7%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.2, Ridgeway 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 Manchester Township School District, which includes Ridgeway Elementary School.
$24,614
Per student
-1%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+48%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.9%
State 25.5%
Federal 5.6%
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.
How Ridgeway Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester Township High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Manchester Township Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Manchester Township Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whiting Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Manchester Regional Day School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ridgeway Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 947
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 573
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 266
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 56
- Students per teacher
- 4.3:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~476 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ridgeway Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ridgeway Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Manchester 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 Ridgeway Elementary School
How many students attend Ridgeway Elementary School?
Ridgeway Elementary School has 476 students enrolled. It is a public school in Manchester, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ridgeway Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ridgeway Elementary School is 9.7:1, which is 18% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 38% 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 Ridgeway Elementary School?
39.5% of students at Ridgeway Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ridgeway Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ridgeway Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 44.5% of enrollment, in Manchester, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ridgeway Elementary School?
Ridgeway Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Ridgeway Elementary School rank among public schools in Manchester?
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgeway Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Manchester, 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 Manchester on the city page.
Is Ridgeway Elementary School a good school?
Ridgeway Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% 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 Manchester Township School District?
Besides Ridgeway Elementary School, Manchester Township School District also operates Manchester Township High School (947 students), Manchester Township Middle School (586 students), and Manchester Township Elementary School (573 students). See the Manchester 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.