Enrollment
276
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Springfield, NJ
Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341563005704
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Springfield · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 6.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Springfield, NJ.
School address
District: Springfield Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341563005704 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.5%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School
Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Springfield, New Jersey, enrolling 276 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 6.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 276 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 448 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #307.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 276 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Springfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside James Caldwell Elementary School (276 students): Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.5:1 vs 14.5:1).
Springfield Public School District also operates Jonathan Dayton High School (654 students) and Edward V. Walton Primary School (511 students) alongside Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary 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 Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School compares
Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary 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 | 12.5:1 | ▲ 6% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.5% | ▼ 78% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 276 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
276
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 68% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
4.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$22,129
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 276 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
White 54.0%
Hispanic or Latino 17.0%
African American 16.3%
Asian 5.8%
Two or More 4.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 54.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.7, Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Springfield Public School District, which includes Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School.
$22,129
Per student
-11%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 74.9%
State 20.2%
Federal 4.9%
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 Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Dayton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Edward V. Walton Primary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James Caldwell Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 654
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 511
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 276
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Springfield
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~276 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Springfield 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 Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School
How many students attend Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School?
Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School has 276 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Springfield, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School is 12.5:1, which is 6% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School?
6.5% of students at Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School is White at 54.0% of enrollment, in Springfield, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School?
Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School rank among public schools in Springfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Springfield, 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 Springfield on the city page.
Is Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School a good school?
Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median. 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 Springfield Public School District?
Besides Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School, Springfield Public School District also operates Jonathan Dayton High School (654 students), Edward V. Walton Primary School (511 students), and Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School (474 students). See the Springfield 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.