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. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our
editorial standards & corrections policy, the
methodology behind these numbers, or
report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.
Barnegat, New Jersey - 6 schools
An equity score of 54/100 ranks Barnegat Township School District #261 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $21,940 per pupil, Barnegat Township School District ranks #477 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,665
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$21,940
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Barnegat Township School District operates 6 public schools serving 3,665 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Ocean County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,940 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending. See how New Jersey compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 42.4% local, 46.7% state, and 10.9% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 54/100, ranked #261 of 587 in New Jersey against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (16 AP courses district-wide), a 261.5:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 22.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 61.8% White, 22.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School, with a diversity index of 58.0/100.
Its largest campus is Barnegat High School, enrolling 1,003 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Lillian M. Dunfee Elementary, at 325 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Barnegat High School accounts for 27.4% of all Barnegat Township School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Barnegat Township School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Barnegat Township School District school enrollment varies 3.1× across entities
Barnegat Township School District school enrollment ranges from 325 students (lowest) to 1,003 students (highest), a spread of 678 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Barnegat Township School District student-counselor ratio is 262:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Barnegat Township School District is typically wider than the Barnegat Township School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Barnegat Township School District chronic absenteeism rate is 22.6% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Barnegat Township School District is typically wider than the Barnegat Township School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Barnegat Township School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in New Jersey
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Barnegat Township School District?
Barnegat Township School District has 6 schools, including 1 high, 3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 3,665 students.
How much does Barnegat Township School District spend per student?
Barnegat Township School District spends $21,940 per student. The district has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #261 in New Jersey.
What is the demographic composition of Barnegat Township School District?
Barnegat Township School District students are 61.8% White, 22.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% African American, 1.7% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Barnegat Township School District?
Barnegat Township School District has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #261 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.