Enrollment
257
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 341725005924
Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center — Atco, NJ
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
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: Waterford Township 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)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.5%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center 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
Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center reports 257 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 26.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 13% 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 35% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 19.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 34% below the New Jersey average and 62% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 514 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 12.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Waterford Township School District spends $38,872 per pupil district-wide, above the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 41.4% from local sources (property taxes), 51.5% from the state, and 7.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center 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 | 10.3:1 | ▼ 13% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.5% | ▼ 34% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 257 | top 18% | — | — |
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
19.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 34% 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
10.3:1
students per teacher
— 13% below state mean
Top 31% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
12.8%
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
$38,872
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 514 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
Enrollment 257 Top 18% in New Jersey — larger than 82% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 26.0
Students per teacher 10.3:1 -13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 19.5% -34% vs state
NCES ID 341725005924
Student demographics
White 75.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
African American 6.6%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 75.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 514:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 12.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterford Township School District, which includes Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center.
$38,872
Per student
+33%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+99%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 41.4%
State 51.5%
Federal 7.1%
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
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Enrollment
- 221
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
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 Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center
How many students attend Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center?
Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center has 257 students enrolled. It is a other school in Atco, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center is 10.3:1, which is 13% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 35% 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 Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center?
19.5% of students at Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center is White at 75.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Atco, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center?
Thomas Richards Early Childhood Center has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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.