Orange Board of Education 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.

Orange, New Jersey - 12 schools

An equity score of 64/100 ranks Orange Board of Education School District #144 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $22,065 per pupil, Orange Board of Education School District ranks #463 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,744
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$22,065
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Orange Board of Education School District operates 12 public schools serving 5,744 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 2 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. 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 $22,065 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 11.6% local, 78.6% state, and 9.8% 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 64/100, ranked #144 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 2 of 12 schools offering Advanced Placement (14 AP courses district-wide), a 344.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 18.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 49.6% Hispanic or Latino, 48.3% African American, 0.5% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Forest Street Community Elementary School, with a diversity index of 52.5/100.

Its largest campus is Orange High School, enrolling 1,368 students (25% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Stem Innovation Academy of the Oranges, at 180 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Orange High School accounts for 23.8% of all Orange Board of Education School District student enrollment

That concentration means Orange Board of Education 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

Orange Board of Education School District school enrollment varies 7.6× across entities

Orange Board of Education School District school enrollment ranges from 180 students (lowest) to 1,368 students (highest), a spread of 1,188 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Orange Board of Education School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 67.8% 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Orange Board of Education School District student-counselor ratio is 345:1 — 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 Orange Board of Education School District is typically wider than the Orange Board of Education School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Orange Board of Education School District chronic absenteeism rate is 18.9% — 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 Orange Board of Education School District is typically wider than the Orange Board of Education 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?

9.8%
Federal
78.6%
State
11.6%
Local

Funding Equity

64
Equity Score
144 / 587
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 12 schools in Orange Board of Education School District.

Hispanic or Latino 49.6%
African American 48.3%
Multiracial 1.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 48.3/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Orange Board of Education School District's schools, below the New Jersey average of 51.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Forest Street Community Elementary School 52.5
  2. 2 Lincoln Avenue Elementary School 52.2
  3. 3 Orange Early Childhood Center 51.7
  4. 4 Park Avenue Elementary School 51.4
  5. 5 Stem Innovation Academy of the Oranges 51.3

Programs & Resources

2 / 12
Schools with AP
14 AP courses total
344.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
18.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Orange Board of Education School District

How Orange Board of Education School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Monroe Township Public School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Morris School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
North Brunswick Township School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Ridgewood Public School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Orange Board of Education 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

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Compare Orange Board of Education School District

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Orange Board of Education School District?

Orange Board of Education School District has 12 schools, including 2 high, 7 combined, 2 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 5,744 students.

How much does Orange Board of Education School District spend per student?

Orange Board of Education School District spends $22,065 per student. The district has an equity score of 64/100, ranking #144 in New Jersey.

What is the demographic composition of Orange Board of Education School District?

Orange Board of Education School District students are 49.6% Hispanic or Latino, 48.3% African American, 0.5% White, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Orange Board of Education School District?

Orange Board of Education School District has an equity score of 64/100, ranking #144 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.