An equity score of 71/100 ranks Paterson Public School District #78 of 586 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $25,726 per pupil, Paterson Public School District ranks #289 of 648 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
24,795
Total Enrollment
42
Schools
$25,726
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Paterson Public School District operates 42 public schools serving 24,795 students, placing it in the mid-size range in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 18 elementary, 13 combined, 9 high, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage 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 Passaic County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $25,726 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 648 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending. See how New Jersey compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 8.8% local, 79.8% state, and 11.3% 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 71/100, ranked #78 of 586 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 6 of 42 schools offering Advanced Placement (71 AP courses district-wide), a 428.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 46.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 70.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% African American, 5.6% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is School 28, with a diversity index of 61.3/100.
Its largest campus is Eastside High School, enrolling 2,073 students (10% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Young Men's Academy, at 50 students, a 41x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Paterson Public School District school enrollment varies 41× across entities
Paterson Public School District school enrollment ranges from 50 students (lowest) to 2,073 students (highest), a spread of 2,023 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Paterson Public School District reports 61.1% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Paterson Public School District student-counselor ratio is 429:1 — 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.
Paterson Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 46.8% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Comparisons are relative to Paterson 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 Paterson Public School District?
Paterson Public School District has 42 schools, including 9 high, 2 middle, 13 combined, 18 elementary. Total enrollment is 24,795 students.
How much does Paterson Public School District spend per student?
Paterson Public School District spends $25,726 per student. The district has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #78 in New Jersey.
What is the demographic composition of Paterson Public School District?
Paterson Public School District students are 70.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% African American, 5.6% Asian, 3.8% White, averaged across 42 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Paterson Public School District?
Paterson Public School District has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #78 out of 586 districts in New Jersey.