Enrollment
510
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hightstown, NJ
Walter C. Black Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Walter C. Black Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 340432003064
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter C. Black Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Hightstown · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.6:1
- students per teacher
- 24.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Walter C. Black Elementary School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter C. Black Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Hightstown, NJ.
School address
District: East Windsor Regional School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340432003064 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter C. Black Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter C. Black Elementary School
Walter C. Black Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Hightstown, New Jersey, enrolling 510 students.
At 11.6:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 24.6% lands close to the New Jersey typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 510 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 504 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #484, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and White (28%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 510 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
East Windsor Regional School District also operates Hightstown High School (1,616 students) and Melvin H. Kreps Middle School (1,160 students) alongside Walter C. Black 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 Walter C. Black Elementary School compares
Walter C. Black 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 2% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.6% | ▼ 17% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 510 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
510
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 54% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$23,714
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 510 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
- 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
Hispanic or Latino 41.8%
White 27.5%
Asian 17.5%
African American 7.7%
Two or More 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 41.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.1, Walter C. Black Elementary School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Windsor Regional School District, which includes Walter C. Black Elementary School.
$23,714
Per student
-5%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.0%
State 41.8%
Federal 5.3%
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 Walter C. Black Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hightstown High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Melvin H. Kreps Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Perry L. Drew Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grace N. Rogers Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ethel Mcknight Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walter C. Black Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,616
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 599
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 591
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 530
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~510 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter C. Black Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Walter C. Black Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- East Windsor Regional 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 Walter C. Black Elementary School
How many students attend Walter C. Black Elementary School?
Walter C. Black Elementary School has 510 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hightstown, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter C. Black Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter C. Black Elementary School is 11.6:1, which is 2% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 26% 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 Walter C. Black Elementary School?
24.6% of students at Walter C. Black Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter C. Black Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Walter C. Black Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 41.8% of enrollment, in Hightstown, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter C. Black Elementary School?
Walter C. Black Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical 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 Walter C. Black Elementary School rank among public schools in Hightstown?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter C. Black Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Hightstown, 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 Hightstown on the city page.
Is Walter C. Black Elementary School a good school?
Walter C. Black Elementary School earns 35/100 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 East Windsor Regional School District?
Besides Walter C. Black Elementary School, East Windsor Regional School District also operates Hightstown High School (1,616 students), Melvin H. Kreps Middle School (1,160 students), and Perry L. Drew Elementary School (599 students). See the East Windsor Regional School District district page for the complete list.
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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.