Phillipsburg 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.

Phillipsburg, New Jersey - 5 schools

An equity score of 72/100 ranks Phillipsburg School District #71 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $23,529 per pupil, Phillipsburg School District ranks #360 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,989
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$23,529
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Phillipsburg School District operates 5 public schools serving 3,989 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 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 Warren County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $23,529 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 29.2% local, 63.5% state, and 7.2% 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 72/100, ranked #71 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 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (22 AP courses district-wide), a 341.9:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 21.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 39.3% White, 29.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Philipsburg Primary School, with a diversity index of 71.8/100.

Its largest campus is Phillipsburg High School, enrolling 1,750 students (45% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Philipsburg Primary School, at 420 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Phillipsburg High School accounts for 43.9% of all Phillipsburg School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Phillipsburg 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

Phillipsburg School District school enrollment varies 4.2× across entities

Phillipsburg School District school enrollment ranges from 420 students (lowest) to 1,750 students (highest), a spread of 1,330 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

Phillipsburg School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 55.0% 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.

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

Phillipsburg School District student-counselor ratio is 342:1 — 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 Phillipsburg School District is typically wider than the Phillipsburg School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Phillipsburg School District chronic absenteeism rate is 21.8% — 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 Phillipsburg School District is typically wider than the Phillipsburg 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?

7.2%
Federal
63.5%
State
29.2%
Local

Funding Equity

72
Equity Score
71 / 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 5 schools in Phillipsburg School District.

White 39.3%
Hispanic or Latino 29.5%
African American 22.2%
Asian 1.1%
Multiracial 7.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 69.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Phillipsburg School District's schools, above the New Jersey average of 51.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Philipsburg Primary School 71.8
  2. 2 Phillipsburg Middle School 70.9
  3. 3 Phillipsburg Elementary School 70.6
  4. 4 Phillipsburg Early Childhood Learning Center 69.2
  5. 5 Phillipsburg High School 66.5

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
22 AP courses total
341.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
21.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Phillipsburg School District

School Enrollment
Phillipsburg High School
1,750
Phillipsburg Middle School
636
Phillipsburg Elementary School
621
Phillipsburg Early Childhood Learning Center
449
Philipsburg Primary School
420

How Phillipsburg School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Summit Public School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Fort Lee School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Carteret Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Nutley Public School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Phillipsburg 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.

Newark Public School District
41,672 students · 63 schools · $25,301/pupil
Compare vs Phillipsburg School District →
Elizabeth Public Schools
28,266 students · 37 schools · $24,380/pupil
Compare vs Phillipsburg School District →
Jersey City Public Schools
26,647 students · 39 schools · $26,862/pupil
Compare vs Phillipsburg School District →
Paterson Public School District
24,795 students · 43 schools · $23,944/pupil
Compare vs Phillipsburg School District →
Edison Township School District
16,807 students · 19 schools · $20,030/pupil
Compare vs Phillipsburg School District →

Compare Phillipsburg 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 Phillipsburg School District?

Phillipsburg School District has 5 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 2 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 3,989 students.

How much does Phillipsburg School District spend per student?

Phillipsburg School District spends $23,529 per student. The district has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #71 in New Jersey.

What is the demographic composition of Phillipsburg School District?

Phillipsburg School District students are 39.3% White, 29.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.2% African American, 1.1% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Phillipsburg School District?

Phillipsburg School District has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #71 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.