Enrollment
485
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · North Plainfield, NJ
Somerset School
Federal NCES profile for Somerset School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 66/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341164005262
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Somerset School earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in North Plainfield · Resource Index
- 66
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.2:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 54.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Somerset School has class sizes smaller than 85% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Somerset School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in North Plainfield, NJ.
School address
District: North Plainfield School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341164005262 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.0%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+82% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Somerset School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Somerset School
Somerset School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in North Plainfield, New Jersey, enrolling 485 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.2:1, Somerset School is leaner than roughly 85% of New Jersey schools and 22% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 54.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 485 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 302 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #7, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (75%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 243 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
North Plainfield School District also operates North Plainfield High School (1,141 students) and West End School (600 students) alongside Somerset 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 Somerset School compares
Somerset 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 | 9.2:1 | ▼ 22% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.0% | ▲ 82% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 485 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.2:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
485
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 82% 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
9.2:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 15% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
8.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$22,832
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 243 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
30
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.2 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 75.1%
African American 16.5%
White 5.4%
Asian 1.6%
Two or More 1.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 75.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.5, Somerset School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Plainfield School District, which includes Somerset School.
$22,832
Per student
-9%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.7%
State 59.4%
Federal 5.8%
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 Somerset School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Plainfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West End School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Plainfield Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East End School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stony Brook School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Somerset School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 600
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 538
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 451
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 272
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~485 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Somerset School's federal record.
- Compare Somerset School against another school. Compare schools
- North Plainfield 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 Somerset School
How many students attend Somerset School?
Somerset School has 485 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in North Plainfield, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Somerset School?
The student-teacher ratio at Somerset School is 9.2:1, which is 22% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 41% 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 Somerset School?
54.0% of students at Somerset School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Somerset School?
The largest demographic group at Somerset School is Hispanic or Latino at 75.1% of enrollment, in North Plainfield, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Somerset School?
Somerset School has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (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 Somerset School rank among public schools in North Plainfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Somerset School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in North Plainfield, 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 North Plainfield on the city page.
Is Somerset School a good school?
Somerset School earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 North Plainfield School District?
Besides Somerset School, North Plainfield School District also operates North Plainfield High School (1,141 students), West End School (600 students), and North Plainfield Middle School (538 students). See the North Plainfield School District district page for the complete list.
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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.