Enrollment
745
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Somerville, NJ
Van Derveer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Van Derveer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 341509005296
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Derveer Elementary School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Somerville · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.6:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 34.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Van Derveer Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 80% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Van Derveer Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Somerville, NJ.
School address
District: Somerville Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341509005296 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.6:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Derveer Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Van Derveer Elementary School
Van Derveer Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Somerville, New Jersey, enrolling 745 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 34.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 745 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 289 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #18, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 68/100).
16.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Somerville Public School District also operates Somerville High School (1,072 students) and Somerville Middle School (339 students) alongside Van Derveer 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 Van Derveer Elementary School compares
Van Derveer 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 | 9.6:1 | ▼ 19% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.6% | ▲ 17% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 745 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.6:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
745
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
9.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 20% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$24,975
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 41.9%
Hispanic or Latino 36.2%
Asian 8.3%
African American 7.8%
Two or More 5.8%
Largest group: White at 41.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.7, Van Derveer Elementary School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Somerville Public School District, which includes Van Derveer Elementary School.
$24,975
Per student
0%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+51%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.0%
State 34.4%
Federal 5.6%
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.
How Van Derveer Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somerville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Somerville Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Van Derveer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 339
- Students per teacher
- 9.2:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
Similar other 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 (~745 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Van Derveer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Van Derveer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Somerville 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 Van Derveer Elementary School
How many students attend Van Derveer Elementary School?
Van Derveer Elementary School has 745 students enrolled. It is a public school in Somerville, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Derveer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Derveer Elementary School is 9.6:1, which is 19% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 39% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Van Derveer Elementary School?
34.6% of students at Van Derveer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Derveer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Van Derveer Elementary School is White at 41.9% of enrollment, in Somerville, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Derveer Elementary School?
Van Derveer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Van Derveer Elementary School rank among public schools in Somerville?
By Resource Investment Index, Van Derveer Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Somerville, 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 Somerville on the city page.
Is Van Derveer Elementary School a good school?
Van Derveer Elementary School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of New Jersey schools. 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 Somerville Public School District?
Besides Van Derveer Elementary School, Somerville Public School District also operates Somerville High School (1,072 students) and Somerville Middle School (339 students). See the Somerville 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.