Perth Amboy 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.

Perth Amboy, New Jersey - 12 schools

An equity score of 84/100 ranks Perth Amboy Public School District #13 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $39,196 per pupil, Perth Amboy Public School District ranks #15 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

10,484
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$39,196
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Perth Amboy Public School District operates 12 public schools serving 10,484 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 9 elementary, 2 combined, 1 high 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 Middlesex County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $39,196 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 9.0% local, 83.9% state, and 7.1% 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 84/100, ranked #13 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 12 schools offering Advanced Placement (18 AP courses district-wide), a 298.7:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 19.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.0% Hispanic or Latino, 4.1% African American, 1.1% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Edward J. Patten Elementary School, with a diversity index of 21.6/100.

Its largest campus is Perth Amboy High School, enrolling 2,769 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Edmund Hmieleski Early Childhood Center, at 342 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Perth Amboy High School accounts for 26.4% of all Perth Amboy Public School District student enrollment

That concentration means Perth Amboy 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

Perth Amboy Public School District school enrollment varies 8.1× across entities

Perth Amboy Public School District school enrollment ranges from 342 students (lowest) to 2,769 students (highest), a spread of 2,427 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

Perth Amboy Public School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 71.2% 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

Perth Amboy Public School District student-counselor ratio is 299:1 — 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 Perth Amboy Public School District is typically wider than the Perth Amboy Public School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Perth Amboy Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 19.9% — 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 Perth Amboy Public School District is typically wider than the Perth Amboy 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?

7.1%
Federal
83.9%
State
9.0%
Local

Funding Equity

84
Equity Score
13 / 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 12 schools in Perth Amboy Public School District.

White 1.1%
Hispanic or Latino 94.0%
African American 4.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 11.3/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Perth Amboy Public School District's schools, below the New Jersey average of 51.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Edward J. Patten Elementary School 21.6
  2. 2 Anthony V. Ceres Elementary School 17.7
  3. 3 Samuel E. Shull Middle School 14.9
  4. 4 James J. Flynn Elementary School 14.8
  5. 5 Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center 11.6

Programs & Resources

1 / 12
Schools with AP
18 AP courses total
298.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
19.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Perth Amboy Public School District

School Enrollment
Perth Amboy High School
2,769
William C. Mcginnis Middle School
984
Samuel E. Shull Middle School
941
Rose M. Lopez Elementary School
793
Edward J. Patten Elementary School
649
Herbert N. Richardson 21st Century School
632
Robert N. Wilentz Elementary School
616
James J. Flynn Elementary School
599
Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center
577
Anthony V. Ceres Elementary School
559
Dual Language School
384
Edmund Hmieleski Early Childhood Center
342

How Perth Amboy Public School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Freehold Regional High School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Vineland Public School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Bayonne School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Cherry Hill School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Clifton Public School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Perth Amboy 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

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Compare Perth Amboy Public School District

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Perth Amboy Public School District?

Perth Amboy Public School District has 12 schools, including 1 high, 9 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 10,484 students.

How much does Perth Amboy Public School District spend per student?

Perth Amboy Public School District spends $39,196 per student. The district has an equity score of 84/100, ranking #13 in New Jersey.

What is the demographic composition of Perth Amboy Public School District?

Perth Amboy Public School District students are 94.0% Hispanic or Latino, 4.1% African American, 1.1% White, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Perth Amboy Public School District?

Perth Amboy Public School District has an equity score of 84/100, ranking #13 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.