Enrollment
400
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Union City, NJ
Sara M. Gilmore Academy
Federal NCES profile for Sara M. Gilmore Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341638000143
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sara M. Gilmore Academy earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Union City · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 40.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sara M. Gilmore Academy has class sizes larger than 94% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sara M. Gilmore Academy ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Union City, NJ.
School address
District: Union City School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341638000143 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.0%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sara M. Gilmore Academy compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sara M. Gilmore Academy
Sara M. Gilmore Academy is a mid-sized elementary school in Union City, New Jersey, enrolling 400 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16:1 is larger than about 94% of New Jersey schools and 36% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 40.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 400 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 345 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #212.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and White (13%) (diversity index 40/100).
10.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Union City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Colin Powell Elementary School (692 students): Sara M. Gilmore Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16:1 vs 13.6:1).
Union City School District also operates Union City High School (3,147 students) and Emerson Middle School (999 students) alongside Sara M. Gilmore Academy.
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 Sara M. Gilmore Academy compares
Sara M. Gilmore Academy 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 | 16:1 | ▲ 36% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.0% | ▲ 35% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 400 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
400
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 94% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.3%
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
$24,064
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
3
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 75.8%
White 13.0%
Asian 8.8%
African American 2.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 75.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.0, Sara M. Gilmore Academy 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 Sara M. Gilmore Academy.
$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 Sara M. Gilmore Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union City High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Emerson Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Robert Waters Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Union Hill Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sara M. Gilmore Academy'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
- 983
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 871
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 865
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Union City
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~400 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sara M. Gilmore Academy's federal record.
- Compare Sara M. Gilmore Academy 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 Sara M. Gilmore Academy
How many students attend Sara M. Gilmore Academy?
Sara M. Gilmore Academy has 400 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Union City, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sara M. Gilmore Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Sara M. Gilmore Academy is 16:1, which is 36% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sara M. Gilmore Academy?
40.0% of students at Sara M. Gilmore Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sara M. Gilmore Academy?
The largest demographic group at Sara M. Gilmore Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 75.8% of enrollment, in Union City, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sara M. Gilmore Academy?
Sara M. Gilmore Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Sara M. Gilmore Academy rank among public schools in Union City?
By Resource Investment Index, Sara M. Gilmore Academy ranks #1 of 3 public 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 public schools in Union City on the city page.
Is Sara M. Gilmore Academy a good school?
Sara M. Gilmore Academy earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 Union City School District?
Besides Sara M. Gilmore Academy, Union City School District also operates Union City High School (3,147 students), Emerson Middle School (999 students), and Robert Waters Elementary School (983 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.