Carteret Public School District

Carteret, New Jersey — 6 schools

3,935
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$28,303
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Carteret Public School District operates 6 public schools serving 3,935 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 other, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 3,903 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Middlesex County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $28,303 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 30.4% local, 58.0% state, and 11.6% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $114,035 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 67/100, ranked #125 of 587 in New Jersey against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 369:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 22.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 50.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 15.3% African American across the district's schools.

Carteret High School accounts for 30.4% of all Carteret Public School District student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Carteret Public 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Carteret Public School District school enrollment varies 2.7× across entities

Carteret Public School District school enrollment ranges from 436 students (lowest) to 1,188 students (highest), a spread of 752 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Carteret Public School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 63.1% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Carteret Public School District student-counselor ratio is 369:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Carteret Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 22.8% — 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 Carteret Public School District is typically wider than the Carteret Public School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

11.6%
Federal
58.0%
State
30.4%
Local

Funding Equity

67
Equity Score
125 / 587
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Middlesex County county, where this district is located.

$1,804
Studio/mo
$1,978
1 BR/mo
$2,486
2 BR/mo
$2,981
3 BR/mo
$3,296
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$114,035
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 6 schools in Carteret Public School District.

White 8.5%
Hispanic or Latino 50.2%
African American 15.3%
Asian 22.5%
Multiracial 2.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
369:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
22.8%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Carteret Public School District

School Enrollment
Carteret High School
1,188
Columbus Elementary School
642
Carteret Junior High School
568
Carteret Middle School
540
Private Nicholas Minue Elementary School
529
Nathan Hale Elementary School
436

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Carteret Public School District?

Carteret Public School District has 6 schools, including 1 high, 3 other, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,935 students.

How much does Carteret Public School District spend per student?

Carteret Public School District spends $28,303 per student. The district has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #125 in New Jersey.

What is the average teacher salary in Carteret Public School District?

The average teacher salary in Carteret Public School District is $114,035 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Carteret Public School District?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Middlesex County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Carteret Public School District?

Carteret Public School District students are 50.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 15.3% African American, 8.5% White, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Carteret Public School District?

Carteret Public School District has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #125 out of 587 districts in New Jersey. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.