Enrollment
330
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 341623004742
South Toms River Elementary School — South Toms River, NJ
Federal NCES profile for South Toms River Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 52/100.
👥 Class size 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 34
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: Toms River Regional 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)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Toms River Elementary School 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 Toms River Elementary School reports 330 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 25.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% below the New Jersey state mean of 11.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 26% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 54.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 84% above the New Jersey average and 5% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 26.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Toms River Regional School District spends $25,468 per pupil district-wide, below the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 56.2% from local sources (property taxes), 36.2% from the state, and 7.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-), calculated from 3 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 Toms River Elementary School 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 2% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.6% | ▲ 84% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 330 | top 31% | — | — |
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
54.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 84% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
— 2% below state mean
Top 58% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
26.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$25,468
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
Counselors0.0 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
Enrollment 330 Top 31% in New Jersey — larger than 69% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 25.0
Students per teacher 11.7:1 -2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 54.6% +84% vs state
NCES ID 341623004742
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 43.9%
White 31.8%
African American 12.1%
Two or More 10.3%
Asian 1.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 43.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 26.4%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Toms River Regional School District, which includes South Toms River Elementary School.
$25,468
Per student
-13%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 56.2%
State 36.2%
Federal 7.6%
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
- 1,861
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,463
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,377
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,271
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,044
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
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 Toms River Elementary School
How many students attend South Toms River Elementary School?
South Toms River Elementary School has 330 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in SOUTH TOMS RIVER, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Toms River Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Toms River Elementary School is 11.7:1, which is 2% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 26% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Toms River Elementary School?
54.6% of students at South Toms River Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Toms River Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at South Toms River Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 43.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in SOUTH TOMS RIVER, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Toms River Elementary School?
South Toms River Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.