Clifton Public School District

Clifton, New Jersey — 18 schools

10,826
Total Enrollment
18
Schools
$26,590
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Clifton Public School District operates 18 public schools serving 10,826 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 other, 7 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 10,454 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Passaic County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $26,590 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 51.1% local, 39.2% state, and 9.7% 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 $107,283 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 58/100, ranked #205 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 18 schools offering Advanced Placement (30 AP courses district-wide), a 406.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 13.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 59.0% Hispanic or Latino, 27.9% White, 6.7% Asian across the district's schools.

Clifton High School accounts for 30.1% of all Clifton Public School District student enrollment

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

Clifton Public School District school enrollment varies 24× across entities

Clifton Public School District school enrollment ranges from 130 students (lowest) to 3,150 students (highest), a spread of 3,020 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Clifton Public School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 54.3% 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

Clifton Public School District student-counselor ratio is 407:1 — 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

Clifton Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 13.5% — 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?

9.7%
Federal
39.2%
State
51.1%
Local

Funding Equity

58
Equity Score
205 / 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 Passaic County county, where this district is located.

$1,778
Studio/mo
$2,024
1 BR/mo
$2,324
2 BR/mo
$2,835
3 BR/mo
$3,618
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$107,283
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 18 schools in Clifton Public School District.

White 27.9%
Hispanic or Latino 59.0%
African American 3.8%
Asian 6.7%
Multiracial 1.8%
Other 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 18
Schools with AP
30 AP courses total
406.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
13.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Clifton Public School District

School Enrollment
Clifton High School
3,150
Woodrow Wilson Middle School
1,255
Christopher Columbus Middle School
1,092
School #12
560
School #17
501
School #13
443
School #2
401
School #5
398
School #11
376
School #14
355
Clifton Early Learner Academies - Brighton
327
School #9
306
School #15
282
School #3
257
School #1
255
School #16
201
School #8
165
School #4
130

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 · $36,862/pupil
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Elizabeth Public Schools
28,266 students · 37 schools · $26,936/pupil
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Jersey City Public Schools
26,647 students · 39 schools · $32,533/pupil
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Compare Clifton Public School District

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Clifton Public School District?

Clifton Public School District has 18 schools, including 1 high, 2 middle, 8 other, 7 elementary. Total enrollment is 10,826 students.

How much does Clifton Public School District spend per student?

Clifton Public School District spends $26,590 per student. The district has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #205 in New Jersey.

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

The average teacher salary in Clifton Public School District is $107,283 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Clifton Public School District?

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

What is the demographic composition of Clifton Public School District?

Clifton Public School District students are 59.0% Hispanic or Latino, 27.9% White, 6.7% Asian, 3.8% African American, averaged across 18 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Clifton Public School District?

Clifton Public School District has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #205 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

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