An equity score of 70/100 ranks Jersey City Public Schools #91 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
26,647
Total Enrollment
39
Schools
$26,862
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Jersey City Public Schools operates 39 public schools serving 26,647 students, placing it in the mid-size range in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 28 other, 7 high, 4 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 24,151 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is geographically located in Hudson County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $26,862 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 38.5% local, 53.5% state, and 8.0% 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 $137,904 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 70/100, ranked #91 of 587 in New Jersey against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 8 of 39 schools offering Advanced Placement (83 AP courses district-wide), a 415:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 31.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 36.5% Hispanic or Latino, 26.8% African American, 17.7% Asian across the district's schools.
Jersey City Public Schools school enrollment varies 27× across entities
Jersey City Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 67 students (lowest) to 1,786 students (highest), a spread of 1,719 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.
Jersey City Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 52.6% 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.
Jersey City Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 415:1 — 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.
Jersey City Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 31.2% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
How many schools are in Jersey City Public Schools?
Jersey City Public Schools has 39 schools, including 7 high, 28 other, 4 middle. Total enrollment is 26,647 students.
How much does Jersey City Public Schools spend per student?
Jersey City Public Schools spends $26,862 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #91 in New Jersey.
What is the average teacher salary in Jersey City Public Schools?
The average teacher salary in Jersey City Public Schools is $137,904 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the demographic composition of Jersey City Public Schools?
Jersey City Public Schools students are 36.5% Hispanic or Latino, 26.8% African American, 17.7% Asian, 16.0% White, averaged across 39 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Jersey City Public Schools?
Jersey City Public Schools has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #91 out of 587 districts in New Jersey. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.