Enrollment
115
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 341608003493
Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School — Teaneck, NJ
Federal NCES profile for Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 10/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
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: Teaneck 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)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
65:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+446% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Theodora Smiley Lacey 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
Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School reports 115 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 2.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 65:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 446% 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 309% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 34.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 17% above the New Jersey average and 33% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 42.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Teaneck School District spends $38,428 per pupil district-wide, above the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 66.3% from local sources (property taxes), 24.2% from the state, and 9.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (F), 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 Theodora Smiley Lacey 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 | 65:1 | ▲ 446% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.6% | ▲ 17% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 115 | top 5% | — | — |
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
34.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 17% 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
65:1
students per teacher
— 446% above state mean
Top 100% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 0% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
42.6%
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
$38,428
per pupil, district-wide
— above 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 115 Top 5% in New Jersey — larger than 95% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 2.0
Students per teacher 65:1 +446% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 34.6% +17% vs state
NCES ID 341608003493
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 41.7%
African American 26.1%
White 19.1%
Asian 7.8%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 41.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 42.6%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Teaneck School District, which includes Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School.
$38,428
Per student
+32%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+97%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 66.3%
State 24.2%
Federal 9.5%
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
- 1,244
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Enrollment
- 463
- Students per teacher
- 8.6:1
- Enrollment
- 361
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 8.6:1
Similar elementary schools in Teaneck
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Thomas Jefferson Middle School
Standard public school
510 students 9.4:1 students per teacher
Benjamin Franklin Middle School
Standard public school
463 students 8.6:1 students per teacher
Teaneck Community Charter School
Standard public school
377 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
John Greenleaf Whittier Elementary School
Standard public school
361 students 9.4:1 students per teacher
Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary School
Standard public school
334 students 8.6:1 students per teacher
James Russell Lowell Elementary School
Standard public school
320 students 9.3:1 students per teacher
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 Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School
How many students attend Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School?
Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School has 115 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in TEANECK, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School is 65:1, which is 446% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 309% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School?
34.6% of students at Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 41.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in TEANECK, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School?
Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (F) 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.