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Hillside, New Jersey - 7 schools
An equity score of 65/100 ranks Hillside Public School District #136 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $22,174 per pupil, Hillside Public School District ranks #447 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,065
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$22,174
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Hillside Public School District operates 7 public schools serving 3,065 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high, 1 combined 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 Union County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $22,174 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 39.4% local, 53.3% state, and 7.4% 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 #136 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 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (14 AP courses district-wide), a 326.9:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 25.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 51.6% African American, 36.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Abram P. Morris Early Childhood Center, with a diversity index of 62.3/100.
Its largest campus is Hillside High School, enrolling 911 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Hillside Innovation Academy, at 97 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Hillside High School accounts for 29.7% of all Hillside Public School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Hillside 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.
Hillside Public School District school enrollment varies 9.4× across entities
Hillside Public School District school enrollment ranges from 97 students (lowest) to 911 students (highest), a spread of 814 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.
Hillside Public School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 52.5% 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). 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.
Hillside Public School District student-counselor ratio is 327:1 — 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 Hillside Public School District is typically wider than the Hillside Public School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Hillside Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 25.7% — 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 Hillside Public School District is typically wider than the Hillside Public School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Hillside Public 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.
How many schools are in Hillside Public School District?
Hillside Public School District has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 combined, 3 elementary, 2 middle. Total enrollment is 3,065 students.
How much does Hillside Public School District spend per student?
Hillside Public School District spends $22,174 per student. The district has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #136 in New Jersey.
What is the demographic composition of Hillside Public School District?
Hillside Public School District students are 51.6% African American, 36.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% White, 1.2% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Hillside Public School District?
Hillside Public School District has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #136 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.