Enrollment
983
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Union City, NJ
Robert Waters Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Robert Waters Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 341638002924
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Robert Waters Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of New Jersey schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most New Jersey schools.
- #3 of 8
- schools in Union City · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 76.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Robert Waters Elementary School has class sizes larger than 84% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Robert Waters Elementary School ranks #3 of 8 schools in Union City, NJ.
School address
District: Union City School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341638002924 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
71.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.3%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+158% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Robert Waters Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Robert Waters Elementary School
Robert Waters Elementary School is a high-poverty, large combined-grade school in Union City, New Jersey, enrolling 983 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 76.3% of students qualify for free meals, 158% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Jersey, bigger than 90% of state schools at 983 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 122 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #50.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Union City School District also operates Union City High School (3,147 students) and Emerson Middle School (999 students) alongside Robert Waters 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 Robert Waters Elementary School compares
Robert Waters 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 | 13.8:1 | ▲ 17% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.3% | ▲ 158% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 983 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
983
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 158% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 84% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.2%
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
$24,064
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
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
Hispanic or Latino 96.9%
White 1.4%
African American 1.0%
Asian 0.5%
Two or More 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 96.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.1, Robert Waters Elementary School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union City School District, which includes Robert Waters Elementary School.
$24,064
Per student
-4%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 4.9%
State 81.9%
Federal 13.1%
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 Robert Waters Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Emerson Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Union Hill Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George Washington Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Robert Waters Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,147
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 871
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 865
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~983 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Robert Waters Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Robert Waters Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Union City 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 Robert Waters Elementary School
How many students attend Robert Waters Elementary School?
Robert Waters Elementary School has 983 students enrolled. It is a public school in Union City, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Robert Waters Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Robert Waters Elementary School is 13.8:1, which is 17% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Robert Waters Elementary School?
76.3% of students at Robert Waters Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Robert Waters Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Robert Waters Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 96.9% of enrollment, in Union City, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Robert Waters Elementary School?
Robert Waters Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Robert Waters Elementary School rank among schools in Union City?
By Resource Investment Index, Robert Waters Elementary School ranks #3 of 8 schools in Union City, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Union City on the city page.
Is Robert Waters Elementary School a good school?
Robert Waters Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of New Jersey schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Union City School District?
Besides Robert Waters Elementary School, Union City School District also operates Union City High School (3,147 students), Emerson Middle School (999 students), and Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School (871 students). See the Union City 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.