Enrollment
406
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Montclair, NJ
Watchung Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Watchung Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341056002184
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watchung Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Montclair · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 7.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Watchung Elementary School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watchung Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Montclair, NJ.
School address
District: Montclair Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341056002184 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.9%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-73% 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 lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Montclair, New Jersey, enrolling 406 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 7.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 406 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 697 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #596, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 406 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Montclair Public School District also operates Montclair High School (1,925 students) and Hillside Elementary School (684 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 | 12.3:1 | ▲ 4% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.9% | ▼ 73% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 406 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
406
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 66% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
8.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$27,254
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 406 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
36
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.8 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 60.3%
Hispanic or Latino 14.0%
Two or More 11.1%
Asian 7.6%
African American 6.9%
Largest group: White at 60.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.4, Watchung Elementary School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montclair Public School District, which includes Watchung Elementary School.
$27,254
Per student
+9%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+64%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.1%
State 23.9%
Federal 6.0%
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.
How Watchung Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montclair High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillside Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buzz Aldrin Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Glenfield Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Charles H. Bullock School | Similar size | Similar 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
- 1,925
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 684
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 618
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~406 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watchung Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Watchung Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Montclair Public 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 406 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Montclair, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watchung Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Watchung Elementary School is 12.3:1, which is 4% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watchung Elementary School?
7.9% 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 60.3% of enrollment, in Montclair, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watchung Elementary School?
Watchung Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Watchung Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Montclair?
By Resource Investment Index, Watchung Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Montclair, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Montclair on the city page.
Is Watchung Elementary School a good school?
Watchung Elementary School earns 45/100 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 Montclair Public School District?
Besides Watchung Elementary School, Montclair Public School District also operates Montclair High School (1,925 students), Hillside Elementary School (684 students), and Buzz Aldrin Middle School (618 students). See the Montclair Public 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.