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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
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North Plainfield, New Jersey - 6 schools
An equity score of 69/100 ranks North Plainfield School District #96 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $22,832 per pupil, North Plainfield School District ranks #397 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,677
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$22,832
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
North Plainfield School District operates 6 public schools serving 3,677 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary 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 Somerset County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $22,832 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 34.7% local, 59.4% state, and 5.8% 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 69/100, ranked #96 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 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (21 AP courses district-wide), a 343.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 14.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% African American, 6.3% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is West End School, with a diversity index of 50.8/100.
Its largest campus is North Plainfield High School, enrolling 1,141 students (33% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Stony Brook School, at 272 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
North Plainfield High School accounts for 31.0% of all North Plainfield School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means North Plainfield 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.
North Plainfield School District school enrollment varies 4.2× across entities
North Plainfield School District school enrollment ranges from 272 students (lowest) to 1,141 students (highest), a spread of 869 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.
North Plainfield School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 54.6% 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.
North Plainfield School District student-counselor ratio is 344:1 — 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 North Plainfield School District is typically wider than the North Plainfield School District-aggregate figure suggests.
North Plainfield School District chronic absenteeism rate is 14.0% — 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 North Plainfield 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 North Plainfield School District?
North Plainfield School District has 6 schools, including 1 high, 3 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,677 students.
How much does North Plainfield School District spend per student?
North Plainfield School District spends $22,832 per student. The district has an equity score of 69/100, ranking #96 in New Jersey.
What is the demographic composition of North Plainfield School District?
North Plainfield School District students are 76.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% African American, 6.3% White, 2.2% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for North Plainfield School District?
North Plainfield School District has an equity score of 69/100, ranking #96 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.