Mountain Lakes Public School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Mt Lakes, New Jersey - 4 schools

An equity score of 72/100 ranks Mountain Lakes Public School District #73 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $34,860 per pupil, Mountain Lakes Public School District ranks #26 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,308
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$34,860
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Mountain Lakes Public School District operates 4 public schools serving 1,308 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle, 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 Morris County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $34,860 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 65 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 76.4% local, 22.6% state, and 1.0% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 72/100, ranked #73 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 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (27 AP courses district-wide), a 210.3:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 15.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 60.8% White, 17.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Lake Drive Program for Hearing Impared, with a diversity index of 60.4/100.

Its largest campus is Mountain Lakes High School, enrolling 546 students (42% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Lake Drive Program for Hearing Impared, at 64 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Mountain Lakes High School accounts for 41.7% of all Mountain Lakes Public School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Mountain Lakes 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

Mountain Lakes Public School District school enrollment varies 8.5× across entities

Mountain Lakes Public School District school enrollment ranges from 64 students (lowest) to 546 students (highest), a spread of 482 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

Mountain Lakes Public School District student-counselor ratio is 210:1 — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Mountain Lakes Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 15.3% — 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 Mountain Lakes Public School District is typically wider than the Mountain Lakes Public School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

1.0%
Federal
22.6%
State
76.4%
Local

Funding Equity

72
Equity Score
73 / 587
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Mountain Lakes Public School District.

White 60.8%
Hispanic or Latino 17.4%
African American 2.3%
Asian 14.4%
Multiracial 4.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 51.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Mountain Lakes Public School District's schools, about the same as the New Jersey average of 51.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Lake Drive Program for Hearing Impared 60.4
  2. 2 Wildwood Elementary School 53.8
  3. 3 Briarcliff Middle School 47.0
  4. 4 Mountain Lakes High School 46.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
27 AP courses total
210.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
15.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Mountain Lakes Public School District

School Enrollment
Mountain Lakes High School
546
Wildwood Elementary School
423
Briarcliff Middle School
263
Lake Drive Program for Hearing Impared
64

How Mountain Lakes Public School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The New Jersey districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Weehawken Public School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
College Achieve Paterson Charter School Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Dunellen Public School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Northern Highlands Regional High School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Branchburg Township School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Mountain Lakes 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.

Compare Mountain Lakes Public School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Newark Public School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Mountain Lakes Public School District?

Mountain Lakes Public School District has 4 schools, including 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 1,308 students.

How much does Mountain Lakes Public School District spend per student?

Mountain Lakes Public School District spends $34,860 per student. The district has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #73 in New Jersey.

What is the demographic composition of Mountain Lakes Public School District?

Mountain Lakes Public School District students are 60.8% White, 17.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 2.3% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Mountain Lakes Public School District?

Mountain Lakes Public School District has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #73 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.