Enrollment
578
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 341650005760
Washington Elementary — Union, NJ
Federal NCES profile for Washington Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 48/100.
👥 Class size 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 82
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: Township of Union 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)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.5%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington Elementary 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 Elementary reports 578 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 39.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 24% 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 8% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 11.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 61% below the New Jersey average and 78% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 578 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 7.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Township of Union School District spends $25,601 per pupil district-wide, below the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 52.7% from local sources (property taxes), 38.9% from the state, and 8.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (D), calculated from 4 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 Elementary 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 24% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.5% | ▼ 61% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 578 | top 69% | — | — |
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
11.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 61% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
— 24% above state mean
Top 91% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
7.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$25,601
per pupil, district-wide
— below New Jersey avg of $29,189
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 578 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 578 Top 69% in New Jersey — larger than 31% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 39.0
Students per teacher 14.7:1 +24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 11.5% -61% vs state
NCES ID 341650005760
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 38.8%
African American 24.4%
White 22.7%
Asian 9.2%
Two or More 4.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 38.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 578:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 7.3%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Township of Union School District, which includes Washington Elementary.
$25,601
Per student
-12%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 52.7%
State 38.9%
Federal 8.4%
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
- 2,410
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Enrollment
- 970
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Enrollment
- 812
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Enrollment
- 564
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
Similar other schools in Union
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hannah Caldwell Elementary
Standard public school
812 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Livingston Elementary
Standard public school
485 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Franklin Elementary
Standard public school
453 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Connecticut Farms Elementary
Standard public school
430 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Battle Hill Elementary
Standard public school
414 students 10.4:1 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 Elementary
How many students attend Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has 578 students enrolled. It is a other school in UNION, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary is 14.7:1, which is 24% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Washington Elementary?
11.5% of students at Washington Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Washington Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 38.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in UNION, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.