Enrollment
157
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 340423000381
Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy — East Orange, NJ
Federal NCES profile for Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 67/100.
👥 Class size 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 78
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: East Orange 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)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy 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
Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy reports 157 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 12.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% 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 28% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 41.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 41% above the New Jersey average and 20% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 8.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding East Orange School District spends $34,101 per pupil district-wide, above the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 9.0% from local sources (property taxes), 79.7% from the state, and 11.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (B-), 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 Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 4% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.6% | ▲ 41% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 157 | top 8% | — | — |
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
41.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 41% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.4:1
students per teacher
— 4% below state mean
Top 52% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
8.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$34,101
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 157 Top 8% in New Jersey — larger than 92% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 12.0
Students per teacher 11.4:1 -4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 41.6% +41% vs state
NCES ID 340423000381
Student demographics
African American 83.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.2%
White 3.8%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Largest group: African American at 83.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 8.9%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Orange School District, which includes Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy.
$34,101
Per student
+17%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+75%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 9.0%
State 79.7%
Federal 11.2%
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
- 1,798
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Enrollment
- 701
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
Similar other schools in East Orange
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cicely L. Tyson Community Middle/High School
Standard public school
701 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
East Orange Stem Academy High School
Standard public school
646 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Edward T. Bowser Sr. School of Excellence
Standard public school
612 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Langston Hughes Elementary School
Standard public school
554 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Benjamin Banneker Academy
Standard public school
502 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Cicely L. Tyson Community Elementary School
Standard public school
481 students 13.4:1 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 Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy
How many students attend Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy?
Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy has 157 students enrolled. It is a other school in EAST ORANGE, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy is 11.4:1, which is 4% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 28% 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 Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy?
41.6% of students at Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy?
The largest demographic group at Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy is African American at 83.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in EAST ORANGE, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy?
Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (B-) 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.