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Newark, New Jersey - 3 schools
An equity score of 81/100 ranks Essex County Schools of Technology #24 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $28,274 per pupil, Essex County Schools of Technology ranks #115 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
2,021
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$28,274
Per-Pupil Spending
High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Essex County Schools of Technology operates 3 public schools serving 2,021 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 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 Essex County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $28,274 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 32.0% local, 59.3% 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 81/100, ranked #24 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 3 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (24 AP courses district-wide), a 208.2:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 12.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 52.6% Hispanic or Latino, 43.0% African American, 2.5% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Essex County West Caldwell Tech, with a diversity index of 54.5/100.
Essex County Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology accounts for 56.2% of all Essex County Schools of Technology student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Essex County Schools of Technology a distant remainder — means Essex County Schools of Technology-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.
Essex County Schools of Technology school enrollment varies 3.5× across entities
Essex County Schools of Technology school enrollment ranges from 353 students (lowest) to 1,230 students (highest), a spread of 877 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.
Essex County Schools of Technology has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 68.5% 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.
Essex County Schools of Technology student-counselor ratio is 208:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Essex County Schools of Technology chronic absenteeism rate is 12.2% — 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.
Comparisons are relative to Essex County Schools of Technology'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 Essex County Schools of Technology?
Essex County Schools of Technology has 3 schools, including 3 high. Total enrollment is 2,021 students.
How much does Essex County Schools of Technology spend per student?
Essex County Schools of Technology spends $28,274 per student. The district has an equity score of 81/100, ranking #24 in New Jersey.
What is the demographic composition of Essex County Schools of Technology?
Essex County Schools of Technology students are 52.6% Hispanic or Latino, 43.0% African American, 2.5% White, 1.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Essex County Schools of Technology?
Essex County Schools of Technology has an equity score of 81/100, ranking #24 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.