Enrollment
584
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 341512003604
South Amboy Elementary — South Amboy, NJ
Federal NCES profile for South Amboy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 46/100.
👥 Class size 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 62
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: South Amboy School District · New Jersey
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.9%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Amboy Elementary compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
South Amboy Elementary reports 584 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 47.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% above the New Jersey state mean of 11.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 36.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 25% above the New Jersey average and 29% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 584 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 15.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding South Amboy School District spends $21,859 per pupil district-wide, below the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 42.6% from local sources (property taxes), 46.8% from the state, and 10.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Amboy Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Jersey state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.3:1 | ▲ 3% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.9% | ▲ 25% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 584 | top 70% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
36.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 25% above 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 67% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
15.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$21,859
per pupil, district-wide
— below New Jersey avg of $29,189
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 584 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 584 Top 70% in New Jersey — larger than 30% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 47.0
Students per teacher 12.3:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 36.9% +25% vs state
NCES ID 341512003604
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 50.7%
White 33.4%
African American 7.7%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 2.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 584:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 15.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Amboy School District, which includes South Amboy Elementary.
$21,859
Per student
-25%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 42.6%
State 46.8%
Federal 10.6%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 616
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
Similar other schools in South Amboy
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about South Amboy Elementary
How many students attend South Amboy Elementary?
South Amboy Elementary has 584 students enrolled. It is a other school in SOUTH AMBOY, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Amboy Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Amboy Elementary is 12.3:1, which is 3% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Amboy Elementary?
36.9% of students at South Amboy Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Amboy Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Amboy Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 50.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in SOUTH AMBOY, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Amboy Elementary?
South Amboy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.