Enrollment
221
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Middlesex, NJ
Watchung Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Watchung Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341005003414
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watchung Elementary School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of New Jersey schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Middlesex · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 20.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Watchung Elementary School has class sizes larger than 75% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watchung Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Middlesex, NJ.
School address
District: Middlesex Borough School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341005003414 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.4%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watchung Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watchung Elementary School
Watchung Elementary School is a small elementary school in Middlesex, New Jersey, enrolling 221 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 20.4% lands close to the New Jersey typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 221 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 288 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #67.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 221 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Middlesex's elementary schools, it stands alongside Woodland Intermediate School (317 students): Watchung Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 16.7:1).
Middlesex Borough School District also operates Middlesex High School (597 students) and Von E. Mauger Middle School (502 students) alongside Watchung 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 Watchung Elementary School compares
Watchung 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 | 13:1 | ▲ 10% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.4% | ▼ 31% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 221 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
221
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$23,292
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 221 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
White 36.7%
Hispanic or Latino 36.2%
Asian 13.6%
African American 7.2%
Two or More 5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 36.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.8, Watchung Elementary School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Middlesex Borough School District, which includes Watchung Elementary School.
$23,292
Per student
-7%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.3%
State 40.9%
Federal 5.8%
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 Watchung Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Von E. Mauger Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodland Intermediate School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hazelwood Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parker Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watchung Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 597
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 317
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 198
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 192
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar elementary schools in Middlesex
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~221 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watchung Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Watchung Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Middlesex Borough 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 Watchung Elementary School
How many students attend Watchung Elementary School?
Watchung Elementary School has 221 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Middlesex, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watchung Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Watchung Elementary School is 13:1, which is 10% 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 Watchung Elementary School?
20.4% of students at Watchung Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watchung Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Watchung Elementary School is White at 36.7% of enrollment, in Middlesex, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watchung Elementary School?
Watchung Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (higher 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 Watchung Elementary School rank among public schools in Middlesex?
By Resource Investment Index, Watchung Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Middlesex, 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 Middlesex on the city page.
Is Watchung Elementary School a good school?
Watchung Elementary School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Middlesex Borough School District?
Besides Watchung Elementary School, Middlesex Borough School District also operates Middlesex High School (597 students), Von E. Mauger Middle School (502 students), and Woodland Intermediate School (317 students). See the Middlesex Borough 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.