Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 14 schools in district

Sara M. Gilmore Academy

1700 Kerrigan Avenue, Union City, NJ 07087Union City School District →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 01–08Non-Charter
390
Students
Total enrolled
$30,641
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 114% vs nat'l
15.6 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
~avg
44/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 12% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 390 students in grades 01–08 in Union City, New Jersey.
114% above average funding
District spends $30,641 per pupil, 114% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 44th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Sara M. Gilmore Academy is a mid-sized elementary in Union City, New Jersey, serving grades 01–08 with 390 students. The district invests $30,641 per student — 114% above the national average of $14,347, with a 15.6:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 57% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at Sara M. Gilmore Academy

390
Total Students
15.6 : 1
Student:Teacher
57%
Free Lunch
25
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (01–08) are served by this school
Gender Distribution185 male · 205 female
47%
53%
Male 47%Female 53%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility57%
National avg 52% · 224 students
Student Composition
8%
12%
78%
Asian8%
White12%
Hispanic / Latino78%
Black3%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 341638000143

Academic Outcomes at Sara M. Gilmore Academy

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
44
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 44th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 52th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 07087

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$30,641Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$30,641
State avg
$47,079
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$13,482
Student Support$5,822
Administration$3,677
Operations$4,596
Other$3,064
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $30,641 spent per student, an estimated $13,574 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
82%
State government
82.0%
Local (property tax)
5.0%
Federal programs
13.1%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $30,641/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Robert Waters Elementary SchoolTheodore Roosevelt Elementary SchoolThomas A Edison Elementary SchoolGeorge Washington Elementary School
+5 more
↓
Middle
Emerson Middle SchoolUnion Hill Middle School
↓
High School
Union City High SchoolJose Marti STEM Academy
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
Grades01 – 08
Location—
CountyHudson County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictUnion City School District →
Phone: (201)348-5851
NCES ID: 341638000143
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Union City seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Union City School District
High
Union City High School
3,025 students · 09–12
● 44 opp83% FRL
Mid
Emerson Middle School
1,001 students · 06–08
● 44 opp87% FRL
Elem
Robert Waters Elementary School
976 students · PK–06
● 44 opp88% FRL
Elem
Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School
919 students · PK–06
● 44 opp89% FRL
Mid
Union Hill Middle School
849 students · 07–08
● 44 opp91% FRL
Elem
Thomas A Edison Elementary School
839 students · PK–06
● 44 opp92% FRL
Elem
George Washington Elementary School
779 students · PK–06
● 44 opp90% FRL
Elem
Colin Powell Elementary School
721 students · KG–05
● 44 opp85% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
1700 Kerrigan Avenue, Union City, NJ 07087
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.