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.
South Plainfield, New Jersey - 7 schools
An equity score of 48/100 ranks South Plainfield School District #321 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $23,119 per pupil, South Plainfield School District ranks #387 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,551
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$23,119
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
South Plainfield School District operates 7 public schools serving 3,551 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle 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 Middlesex County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $23,119 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 65.0% local, 29.7% state, and 5.3% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 48/100, ranked #321 of 587 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 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (20 AP courses district-wide), a 292.6:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 11.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 34.6% Hispanic or Latino, 33.3% White, 17.3% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Grant Elementary School, with a diversity index of 73.2/100.
Its largest campus is South Plainfield High School, enrolling 1,044 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is John F Kennedy Elementary School, at 256 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
South Plainfield High School accounts for 29.4% of all South Plainfield School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means South Plainfield 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.
South Plainfield School District school enrollment varies 4.1× across entities
South Plainfield School District school enrollment ranges from 256 students (lowest) to 1,044 students (highest), a spread of 788 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.
South Plainfield School District student-counselor ratio is 293:1 — 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 South Plainfield School District is typically wider than the South Plainfield School District-aggregate figure suggests.
South Plainfield School District chronic absenteeism rate is 11.6% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Comparisons are relative to South Plainfield 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 South Plainfield School District?
South Plainfield School District has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle, 4 combined. Total enrollment is 3,551 students.
How much does South Plainfield School District spend per student?
South Plainfield School District spends $23,119 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #321 in New Jersey.
What is the demographic composition of South Plainfield School District?
South Plainfield School District students are 34.6% Hispanic or Latino, 33.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 10.0% African American, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for South Plainfield School District?
South Plainfield School District has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #321 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.