An equity score of 52/100 ranks Plainfield Public School District #278 of 586 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $21,278 per pupil, Plainfield Public School District ranks #569 of 648 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
10,097
Total Enrollment
14
Schools
$21,278
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Plainfield Public School District operates 14 public schools serving 10,097 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 elementary, 4 combined, 2 high, 2 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 Union County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,278 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower 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 9.5% local, 81.5% state, and 9.0% 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 52/100, ranked #278 of 586 in New Jersey against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 14 schools offering Advanced Placement (28 AP courses district-wide), a 374:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 29.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 79.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% African American, 1.0% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Frederic W. Cook Elementary School, with a diversity index of 54.8/100.
Its largest campus is Plainfield High School, enrolling 2,077 students (27% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Pinnacle Academy High School, at 67 students, a 31x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Plainfield High School accounts for 20.6% of all Plainfield Public School District student enrollment
That concentration means Plainfield Public School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Plainfield Public School District school enrollment varies 31× across entities
Plainfield Public School District school enrollment ranges from 67 students (lowest) to 2,077 students (highest), a spread of 2,010 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.
Plainfield Public School District reports 71.4% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. 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.
Plainfield Public School District student-counselor ratio is 374:1 — 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.
Plainfield Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 29.0% — 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 Plainfield Public School District is typically wider than the Plainfield Public School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Plainfield Public School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
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How many schools are in Plainfield Public School District?
Plainfield Public School District has 14 schools, including 2 high, 2 middle, 6 elementary, 4 combined. Total enrollment is 10,097 students.
How much does Plainfield Public School District spend per student?
Plainfield Public School District spends $21,278 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #278 in New Jersey.
What is the demographic composition of Plainfield Public School District?
Plainfield Public School District students are 79.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% African American, 1.0% White, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 14 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Plainfield Public School District?
Plainfield Public School District has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #278 out of 586 districts in New Jersey.