Cliffside Park School District

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.

Cliffside Park, New Jersey - 5 schools

An equity score of 39/100 ranks Cliffside Park School District #408 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $21,116 per pupil, Cliffside Park School District ranks #533 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,141
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$21,116
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Cliffside Park School District operates 5 public schools serving 3,141 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 2 combined, 1 high 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 Bergen County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,116 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 65.1% local, 26.7% state, and 8.2% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 39/100, ranked #408 of 587 in New Jersey against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (14 AP courses district-wide), a 348.9:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 14.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 67.8% Hispanic or Latino, 26.5% White, 3.7% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is School #4, with a diversity index of 58.9/100.

Its largest campus is Cliffside Park High School, enrolling 1,314 students (42% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is School #5, at 305 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Cliffside Park High School accounts for 41.8% of all Cliffside Park School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Cliffside Park 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

Cliffside Park School District school enrollment varies 4.3× across entities

Cliffside Park School District school enrollment ranges from 305 students (lowest) to 1,314 students (highest), a spread of 1,009 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

Cliffside Park School District student-counselor ratio is 349:1 — 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 Cliffside Park School District is typically wider than the Cliffside Park School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Cliffside Park School District chronic absenteeism rate is 14.1% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Where does the funding come from?

8.2%
Federal
26.7%
State
65.1%
Local

Funding Equity

39
Equity Score
408 / 587
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in Cliffside Park School District.

White 26.5%
Hispanic or Latino 67.8%
African American 1.7%
Asian 3.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 43.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Cliffside Park School District's schools, below the New Jersey average of 51.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 School #4 58.9
  2. 2 School #6/Middle School 46.9
  3. 3 School #5 45.6
  4. 4 Cliffside Park High School 36.4
  5. 5 School #3 31.6

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
14 AP courses total
348.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
14.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Cliffside Park School District

School Enrollment
Cliffside Park High School
1,314
School #6/Middle School
679
School #4
478
School #3
359
School #5
305

How Cliffside Park School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The New Jersey districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Flemington-Raritan Regional School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Galloway Township Public School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Hoboken Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Lindenwold Public School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Lodi School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Cliffside Park 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.

Newark Public School District
41,672 students · 63 schools · $25,301/pupil
Compare vs Cliffside Park School District →
Elizabeth Public Schools
28,266 students · 37 schools · $24,380/pupil
Compare vs Cliffside Park School District →
Jersey City Public Schools
26,647 students · 39 schools · $26,862/pupil
Compare vs Cliffside Park School District →

Compare Cliffside Park School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Newark Public School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Cliffside Park School District?

Cliffside Park School District has 5 schools, including 1 high, 2 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 3,141 students.

How much does Cliffside Park School District spend per student?

Cliffside Park School District spends $21,116 per student. The district has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #408 in New Jersey.

What is the demographic composition of Cliffside Park School District?

Cliffside Park School District students are 67.8% Hispanic or Latino, 26.5% White, 3.7% Asian, 1.7% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Cliffside Park School District?

Cliffside Park School District has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #408 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.