Enrollment
557
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 341314005628
Washington Community School — Plainfield, NJ
Federal NCES profile for Washington Community School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 34/100.
👥 Class size 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 31
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: Plainfield Public 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)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.7%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+149% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington Community School 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
Washington Community School reports 557 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 43.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 27% above the New Jersey state mean of 11.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 5% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 73.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 149% above the New Jersey average and 42% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 27.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Plainfield Public School District spends $30,066 per pupil district-wide, above the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 9.5% from local sources (property taxes), 81.5% from the state, and 9.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F), 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 Washington Community School 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 | 15.1:1 | ▲ 27% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.7% | ▲ 149% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 557 | top 67% | — | — |
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
73.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 149% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
— 27% above state mean
Top 93% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$30,066
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 + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 557 Top 67% in New Jersey — larger than 33% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 43.0
Students per teacher 15.1:1 +27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 73.7% +149% vs state
NCES ID 341314005628
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 90.5%
African American 7.9%
White 0.7%
Two or More 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 90.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 27.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 23
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plainfield Public School District, which includes Washington Community School.
$30,066
Per student
+3%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+54%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 9.5%
State 81.5%
Federal 9.0%
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
- 2,077
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 737
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
Similar other schools in Plainfield
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Clinton Elementary School
Standard public school
386 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Elementary School
Standard public school
383 students 13:1 students per teacher
The Queen City Academy Charter School
Standard public school
378 students 26.9:1 students per teacher
Plainfield Academy for the Arts & Advanced Studies
Standard public school
357 students 9.4:1 students per teacher
Union County Teams Charter School
Standard public school
304 students 33.4:1 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 Washington Community School
How many students attend Washington Community School?
Washington Community School has 557 students enrolled. It is a other school in PLAINFIELD, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Community School?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington Community School is 15.1:1, which is 27% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Washington Community School?
73.7% of students at Washington Community School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington Community School?
The largest demographic group at Washington Community School is Hispanic or Latino at 90.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in PLAINFIELD, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington Community School?
Washington Community School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F) 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.