South Plainfield School District

Public school district · Middlesex County · New Jersey · NCES district ID 3415360

South Plainfield School District spent $23,727 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 61% of the other New Jersey districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $24,665). Its 7 schools enrolled 3,530 students in 2024-25; 32.0% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $24,143 per student, up 1.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 93% (New Jersey: 90.5%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among New Jersey districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to South Plainfield in enrollment (3,469 to 3,639 students) and South Plainfield itself.

Current spending per student, New Jersey districts closest in size to South Plainfield, FY23Hopewell Valley Regional $31,456; Paramus $30,912; Montville Township Public Schools $28,971; Neptune Township $27,934; Ewing Township Board of Education $27,348; Tenafly Public Schools $26,135; School District of the Chathams $24,450; South Plainfield $23,727; Black Horse Pike Regional $23,064; Dover Public Schools $22,480; State median, 1,000+ students $24,665.20k25k30k35kHopewell Valley Regional$31,456Paramus$30,912Montville Township Public Scho…$28,971Neptune Township$27,934Ewing Township Board of Educat…$27,348Tenafly Public Schools$26,135School District of the Chathams$24,450South Plainfield$23,727Black Horse Pike Regional$23,064Dover Public Schools$22,480State median, 1,000+ students $24,665
Current spending per student, New Jersey districts closest in size to South Plainfield, FY23Hopewell Valley Regional $31,456; Paramus $30,912; Montville Township Public Schools $28,971; Neptune Township $27,934; Ewing Township Board of Education $27,348; Tenafly Public Schools $26,135; School District of the Chathams $24,450; South Plainfield $23,727; Black Horse Pike Regional $23,064; Dover Public Schools $22,480; State median, 1,000+ students $24,665.20k25k30k35kHopewell Valley Regional$31,456Paramus$30,912Montville Township Public Schools$28,971Neptune Township$27,934Ewing Township Board of Education$27,348Tenafly Public Schools$26,135School District of the Chathams$24,450South Plainfield$23,727Black Horse Pike Regional$23,064Dover Public Schools$22,480State median, 1,000+ students $24,665
Current spending per student, New Jersey districts closest in size to South Plainfield, FY23Hopewell Valley Regional $31,456; Paramus $30,912; Montville Township Public Schools $28,971; Neptune Township $27,934; Ewing Township Board of Education $27,348; Tenafly Public Schools $26,135; School District of the Chathams $24,450; South Plainfield $23,727; Black Horse Pike Regional $23,064; Dover Public Schools $22,480; State median, 1,000+ students $24,665.20k25k30k35kHopewell Valley Regional$31,456Paramus$30,912Montville Township Public Schools$28,971Neptune Township$27,934Ewing Township Board of Education$27,348Tenafly Public Schools$26,135School District of the Chathams$24,450South Plainfield$23,727Black Horse Pike Regional$23,064Dover Public Schools$22,480State median, 1,000+ students $24,665
Current spending per student, New Jersey districts closest in size to South Plainfield, FY23Hopewell Valley Regional $31,456; Paramus $30,912; Montville Township Public Schools $28,971; Neptune Township $27,934; Ewing Township Board of Education $27,348; Tenafly Public Schools $26,135; School District of the Chathams $24,450; South Plainfield $23,727; Black Horse Pike Regional $23,064; Dover Public Schools $22,480; State median, 1,000+ students $24,665.20k25k30k35kHopewell Valley Regional$31,456Paramus$30,912Montville Township Public Schools$28,971Neptune Township$27,934Ewing Township Board of Education$27,348Tenafly Public Schools$26,135School District of the Chathams$24,450South Plainfield$23,727Black Horse Pike Regional$23,064Dover Public Schools$22,480State median, 1,000+ students $24,665

Where the money came from

$91,644,000 in revenue: 32.0% state, 61.8% local and 6.2% federal. Total spending including $10,027,000 of capital outlay was $100,834,000, or $28,396 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

South Plainfield School District revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $29,298,000; Local $56,637,000; Federal $5,709,000; total $91,644,000.
  • State$29,298,000 32%
  • Local$56,637,000 62%
  • Federal$5,709,000 6%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 329 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25

3,516 students in 2022-23, 3,499 students in 2023-24, 3,530 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

South Plainfield School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,516, 2023-24: 3,499, 2024-25: 3,53001k2k3k4k2022-233,5162023-243,4992024-253,530
South Plainfield School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,516, 2023-24: 3,499, 2024-25: 3,53001k2k3k4k2022-233,5162023-243,4992024-253,530
South Plainfield School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,516, 2023-24: 3,499, 2024-25: 3,53001k2k3k4k2022-233,5162023-243,4992024-253,530
South Plainfield School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,516, 2023-24: 3,499, 2024-25: 3,53001k2k3k4k2022-233,5162023-243,4992024-253,530

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-233,516327.210.7
2023-243,499333.210.5
2024-253,530328.010.8

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$23,933,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,740 per student

South Plainfield School District booked $23,933,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 327 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $73,145 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 34 in 100 New Jersey districts with a figure (state median $77,508, 569 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average New Jersey teacher salary at $79,045 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$18,813,00078.6%
Special education$4,640,00019.4%
Other programs$480,0002.0%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $6,433 in 2018-19, $6,467 in 2019-20, $6,604 in 2020-21, $6,830 in 2021-22, $6,740 in 2022-23.

South Plainfield School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,433, 2019-20: $6,467, 2020-21: $6,604, 2021-22: $6,830, 2022-23: $6,74002k4k6k8k2018-19$6,4332019-20$6,4672020-21$6,6042021-22$6,8302022-23$6,740
South Plainfield School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,433, 2019-20: $6,467, 2020-21: $6,604, 2021-22: $6,830, 2022-23: $6,74002k4k6k8k2018-19$6,4332019-20$6,4672020-21$6,6042021-22$6,8302022-23$6,740
South Plainfield School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,433, 2019-20: $6,467, 2020-21: $6,604, 2021-22: $6,830, 2022-23: $6,74002k4k6k8k2018-19$6,4332019-20$6,4672020-21$6,6042021-22$6,8302022-23$6,740
South Plainfield School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,433, 2019-20: $6,467, 2020-21: $6,604, 2021-22: $6,830, 2022-23: $6,74002k4k6k8k2018-19$6,4332019-20$6,4672020-21$6,6042021-22$6,8302022-23$6,740

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in South Plainfield School District scored proficient or above: 53% in reading and 41% in math, against 48.6% in reading and 35.5% in math across New Jersey. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within New Jersey, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtNew JerseyStudents tested
Reading and language arts53%48.6%
Math41%35.5%

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

93% of the 283 students in South Plainfield School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90.5% across New Jersey. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtNew Jersey
Four-year graduation rate93%90.5%
Students in the class283106,157

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

4 elementary schools, 1,365 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Roosevelt Elementary School47210.429.4%Targeted program
John E Riley Elementary School36710.331.6%Targeted program
Franklin Elementary School27011.629.6%Not Title I
John F Kennedy Elementary School2569.421.9%Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

2 middle schools, 1,121 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Grant Elementary School56811.029.6%Targeted program
South Plainfield Middle School55310.730.6%Targeted program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 1,044 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
South Plainfield High School1,04411.230.8%Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact South Plainfield School District

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about South Plainfield School District

  1. New Jersey districts by spending per studentSouth Plainfield School District ranks 202 of 329 New Jersey districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($23,727).#202 of 329
  2. Every school district in New JerseySouth Plainfield School District is the number 109 by size of 672 New Jersey districts, with 3,551 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#109 of 672
  3. Black Horse Pike Regional School DistrictThe next larger New Jersey district: 3,600 students in fall 2022, $23,064 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$23,064
  4. Ewing Township Board of EducationThe next smaller New Jersey district: 3,545 students in fall 2022, $27,348 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$27,348
  5. Compare South Plainfield School District with Black Horse Pike Regional School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. South Plainfield High School, its largest high school1,044 students in 2024-25, 11.2 per teacher.1,044
  7. Teacher salary spending across New JerseySouth Plainfield School District spent $73,145 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $77,508); spending, not a salary.$73,145
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about South Plainfield School District

  1. How many schools and students are in South Plainfield School District?
    7 schools were open in 2024-25 (4 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high), enrolling 3,530 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does South Plainfield School District spend per student?
    $23,727 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the New Jersey median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $24,665 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $24,143 per student, up 1.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does South Plainfield School District's money come from?
    $91,644,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 32.0% state, 61.8% local and 6.2% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in South Plainfield School District live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 238 of the 4,024 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 5.9%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does South Plainfield School District spend on teacher salaries?
    $23,933,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,740 per student. Divided by the 327 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $73,145 per teacher, more than 34 in 100 New Jersey districts (state median $77,508). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average New Jersey teacher salary at $79,045 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in South Plainfield School District do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in South Plainfield School District scored proficient or above: 53% in reading and 41% in math, against 48.6% in reading and 35.5% in math across New Jersey. New Jersey's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in South Plainfield School District?
    93% of the 283 students in South Plainfield School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90.5% across New Jersey. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is South Plainfield School District's NCES district ID?
    3415360. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .