Enrollment
390
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Clark, NJ
Valley Road School
Federal NCES profile for Valley Road School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 340315005454
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Road School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Clark · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- students per teacher
- 3.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Road School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Road School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Clark, NJ.
School address
District: Clark Township Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340315005454 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
3.0%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-90% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Road School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Road School
Valley Road School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Clark, New Jersey, enrolling 390 students.
At 11.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New Jersey median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 3.0% free-meal eligibility runs 90% below the New Jersey average.
With 390 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 605 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #115.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 247 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Clark Township Public School District also operates Arthur L. Johnson High School (785 students) and Frank K. Hehnly (543 students) alongside Valley Road 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 Valley Road School compares
Valley Road 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 0% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 3.0% | ▼ 90% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 390 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
390
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
3.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 90% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 58% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
7.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$20,396
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
Counselors1.6 FTE
Per 247 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 66.2%
Hispanic or Latino 21.3%
Asian 7.9%
Two or More 2.1%
African American 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Largest group: White at 66.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.9, Valley Road School is about as mixed as the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clark Township Public School District, which includes Valley Road School.
$20,396
Per student
-18%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 73.6%
State 22.0%
Federal 4.3%
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 Valley Road School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur L. Johnson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Frank K. Hehnly | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carl H. Kumpf School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clark Preschool Annex | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Road School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 785
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
- Enrollment
- 22
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
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 (~390 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Road School's federal record.
- Compare Valley Road School against another school. Compare schools
- Clark Township 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 Valley Road School
How many students attend Valley Road School?
Valley Road School has 390 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Clark, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Road School?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Road School is 11.8:1, which is 0% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valley Road School?
3.0% of students at Valley Road School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Road School?
The largest demographic group at Valley Road School is White at 66.2% of enrollment, in Clark, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Road School?
Valley Road School has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (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 Valley Road School rank among public schools in Clark?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Road School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Clark, 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 Clark on the city page.
Is Valley Road School a good school?
Valley Road School earns 64/100 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 Clark Township Public School District?
Besides Valley Road School, Clark Township Public School District also operates Arthur L. Johnson High School (785 students), Frank K. Hehnly (543 students), and Carl H. Kumpf School (528 students). See the Clark Township 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.