Enrollment
157
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · East Orange, NJ
Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy
Federal NCES profile for Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 65/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 340423000381
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of New Jersey schools.
- #2 of 14
- schools in East Orange · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.1:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 41.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy has class sizes larger than 76% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy ranks #2 of 14 schools in East Orange, NJ.
School address
District: East Orange School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340423000381 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+11% 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
What stands out at Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy
Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy is a small combined-grade school in East Orange, New Jersey, enrolling 157 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 41.6% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of New Jersey schools, with 157 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 65 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #8.
Its student body is predominantly African American (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
East Orange School District also operates East Orange Campus High School (1,798 students) and Cicely L. Tyson Community Middle/High School (701 students) alongside Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy.
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 Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy compares
Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy 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 | 13.1:1 | ▲ 11% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.6% | ▲ 41% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 157 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
157
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 76% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$28,608
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 + 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
- 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
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.
Student-body diversity index 29.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.2, Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Orange School District, which includes Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy.
$28,608
Per student
+15%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+72%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Orange Campus High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cicely L. Tyson Community Middle/High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Orange Stem Academy High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edward T. Bowser Sr. School of Excellence | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Langston Hughes Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,798
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 701
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~157 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy's federal record.
- Compare Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy against another school. Compare schools
- East Orange 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 Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy
How many students attend Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy?
Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy has 157 students enrolled. It is a public 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 13.1:1, which is 11% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, 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 65/100 (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 Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy rank among schools in East Orange?
By Resource Investment Index, Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy ranks #2 of 14 schools in East Orange, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in East Orange on the city page.
Is Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy a good school?
Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 East Orange School District?
Besides Wahlstrom Early Childhood Academy, East Orange School District also operates East Orange Campus High School (1,798 students), Cicely L. Tyson Community Middle/High School (701 students), and East Orange Stem Academy High School (646 students). See the East Orange 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.