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Elizabeth, New Jersey - 37 schools
An equity score of 65/100 ranks Elizabeth Public Schools #134 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $24,380 per pupil, Elizabeth Public Schools ranks #305 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
28,266
Total Enrollment
37
Schools
$24,380
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Elizabeth Public Schools operates 37 public schools serving 28,266 students, placing it in the mid-size range in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 17 combined, 12 elementary, 8 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Union County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $24,380 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper 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 10.8% local, 80.6% state, and 8.7% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 65/100, ranked #134 of 587 in New Jersey against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 8 of 37 schools offering Advanced Placement (70 AP courses district-wide), a 568.6:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 19.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 77.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% African American, 6.2% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Nicholas Murray Butler Academy School No. 23, with a diversity index of 53.5/100.
Elizabeth Public Schools school enrollment varies 4.5× across entities
Elizabeth Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 301 students (lowest) to 1,348 students (highest), a spread of 1,047 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.
Elizabeth Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 67.2% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.
Elizabeth Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 569:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Elizabeth Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 19.0% — 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 Elizabeth Public Schools is typically wider than the Elizabeth Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Elizabeth Public Schools has 37 schools, including 8 high, 12 elementary, 17 combined. Total enrollment is 28,266 students.
How much does Elizabeth Public Schools spend per student?
Elizabeth Public Schools spends $24,380 per student. The district has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #134 in New Jersey.
What is the demographic composition of Elizabeth Public Schools?
Elizabeth Public Schools students are 77.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% African American, 6.2% White, 1.4% Asian, averaged across 37 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Elizabeth Public Schools?
Elizabeth Public Schools has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #134 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.