Enrollment
870
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Parlin, NJ
Samsel Upper Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Samsel Upper Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341464000553
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Samsel Upper Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of New Jersey schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Jersey schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Parlin · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.6:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 28.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Samsel Upper Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 80% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Samsel Upper Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Parlin, NJ.
School address
District: Sayreville School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341464000553 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
91.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.6:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.4%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Samsel Upper Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Samsel Upper Elementary School
Samsel Upper Elementary School is a large elementary school in Parlin, New Jersey, enrolling 870 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 28.4% lands close to the New Jersey typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 870 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 244 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #121.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 435 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Sayreville School District also operates Sayreville War Memorial High School (1,764 students) and Sayreville Middle School (1,294 students) alongside Samsel Upper 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 Samsel Upper Elementary School compares
Samsel Upper 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 | 9.6:1 | ▼ 19% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.4% | ▼ 4% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 870 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.6:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
870
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
9.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 20% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$20,907
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 435 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
29
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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 38.7%
Hispanic or Latino 20.3%
African American 17.0%
Asian 16.4%
Two or More 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Largest group: White at 38.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.0, Samsel Upper 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 Sayreville School District, which includes Samsel Upper Elementary School.
$20,907
Per student
-16%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.1%
State 44.5%
Federal 8.4%
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 Samsel Upper Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sayreville War Memorial High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sayreville Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Emma Arleth Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harry S. Truman Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Samsel Upper Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,764
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 1,294
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 488
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 425
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary 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 (~870 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Samsel Upper Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Samsel Upper Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Sayreville 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 Samsel Upper Elementary School
How many students attend Samsel Upper Elementary School?
Samsel Upper Elementary School has 870 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Parlin, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Samsel Upper Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Samsel Upper Elementary School is 9.6:1, which is 19% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 39% 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 Samsel Upper Elementary School?
28.4% of students at Samsel Upper Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Samsel Upper Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Samsel Upper Elementary School is White at 38.7% of enrollment, in Parlin, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Samsel Upper Elementary School?
Samsel Upper Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Samsel Upper Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Parlin?
By Resource Investment Index, Samsel Upper Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Parlin, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Parlin on the city page.
Is Samsel Upper Elementary School a good school?
Samsel Upper Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of New Jersey schools. It is also more 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 Sayreville School District?
Besides Samsel Upper Elementary School, Sayreville School District also operates Sayreville War Memorial High School (1,764 students), Sayreville Middle School (1,294 students), and Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School (488 students). See the Sayreville 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.