Enrollment
179
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ridgefield, NJ
Shaler Academy
Federal NCES profile for Shaler Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 341377000078
👥 S:T ratio 66
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shaler Academy earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of New Jersey schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Ridgefield · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.5:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 23.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Shaler Academy has class sizes smaller than 90% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shaler Academy ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Ridgefield, NJ.
School address
District: Ridgefield School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341377000078 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shaler Academy compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shaler Academy
Shaler Academy is a small combined-grade school in Ridgefield, New Jersey, enrolling 179 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.5:1, Shaler Academy is leaner than roughly 90% of New Jersey schools and 28% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 23.6% lands close to the New Jersey typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 179 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 141 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #118, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and White (27%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 358 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Ridgefield School District spends $34,182 per pupil, 37% above the New Jersey average, a better-resourced district than most.
Ridgefield School District also operates Slocum Skewes School (654 students) and Ridgefield Memorial High School (512 students) alongside Shaler 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 Shaler Academy compares
Shaler 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 | 8.5:1 | ▼ 28% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.6% | ▼ 20% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 179 | top 90% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.5:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
179
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
8.5:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 10% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.1%
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
$34,182
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors0.5 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 52.0%
White 26.8%
Asian 12.8%
African American 5.6%
Two or More 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, Shaler Academy is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ridgefield School District, which includes Shaler Academy.
$34,182
Per student
+37%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+106%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.9%
State 26.0%
Federal 5.1%
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 Shaler Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slocum Skewes School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridgefield Memorial High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bergen Boulevard School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shaler Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 654
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 187
- Students per teacher
- 8.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~179 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shaler Academy's federal record.
- Compare Shaler Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Ridgefield 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 Shaler Academy
How many students attend Shaler Academy?
Shaler Academy has 179 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ridgefield, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shaler Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Shaler Academy is 8.5:1, which is 28% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 46% 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 Shaler Academy?
23.6% of students at Shaler Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shaler Academy?
The largest demographic group at Shaler Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 52.0% of enrollment, in Ridgefield, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shaler Academy?
Shaler Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 Shaler Academy rank among public schools in Ridgefield?
By Resource Investment Index, Shaler Academy ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield on the city page.
Is Shaler Academy a good school?
Shaler Academy earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% 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 Ridgefield School District?
Besides Shaler Academy, Ridgefield School District also operates Slocum Skewes School (654 students), Ridgefield Memorial High School (512 students), and Bergen Boulevard School (187 students). See the Ridgefield 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.