Enrollment
665
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Paterson, NJ
School 21
Federal NCES profile for School 21, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 341269004914
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
School 21 earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of New Jersey schools.
- #12 of 12
- schools in Paterson · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.5:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 52.2%
- free-lunch eligible
School 21 has class sizes larger than 89% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, School 21 ranks #12 of 12 schools in Paterson, NJ.
School address
District: Paterson Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341269004914 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.2%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How School 21 compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at School 21
School 21 is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Paterson, New Jersey, enrolling 665 students.
Class loads run heavy: 14.5:1 is larger than about 89% of New Jersey schools and 23% 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 52.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 665 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 256 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #253, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (78%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 665 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Paterson's public schools, it stands alongside College Achieve Paterson Charter School (1,688 students): School 21 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 24.8:1).
Paterson Public School District also operates Eastside High School (2,073 students) and John F. Kennedy High School (1,846 students) alongside School 21.
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 School 21 compares
School 21 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 23% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.2% | ▲ 76% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 665 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
665
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 89% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
58.9%
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
$23,944
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 665 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 78.0%
African American 20.9%
White 0.5%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.8, School 21 is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paterson Public School District, which includes School 21.
$23,944
Per student
-4%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.8%
State 79.8%
Federal 11.3%
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 School 21 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastside High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John F. Kennedy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Joseph a. Taub School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| School 16 | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| School 5 | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to School 21's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,073
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 813
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar other schools in Paterson
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~665 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on School 21's federal record.
- Compare School 21 against another school. Compare schools
- Paterson Public 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 School 21
How many students attend School 21?
School 21 has 665 students enrolled. It is a public school in Paterson, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at School 21?
The student-teacher ratio at School 21 is 14.5:1, which is 23% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at School 21?
52.2% of students at School 21 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of School 21?
The largest demographic group at School 21 is Hispanic or Latino at 78.0% of enrollment, in Paterson, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for School 21?
School 21 has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (lower 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 School 21 rank among schools in Paterson?
By Resource Investment Index, School 21 ranks #12 of 12 schools in Paterson, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Paterson on the city page.
Is School 21 a good school?
School 21 earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Paterson Public School District?
Besides School 21, Paterson Public School District also operates Eastside High School (2,073 students), John F. Kennedy High School (1,846 students), and Joseph a. Taub School (976 students). See the Paterson Public 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.