Summit 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.

Summit, New Jersey - 9 schools

An equity score of 42/100 ranks Summit Public School District #375 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $24,281 per pupil, Summit Public School District ranks #310 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,950
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$24,281
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Summit Public School District operates 9 public schools serving 3,950 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 elementary, 2 combined, 1 high, 1 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 $24,281 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper 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 71.5% local, 22.5% state, and 6.0% 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 42/100, ranked #375 of 587 in New Jersey against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (25 AP courses district-wide), a 289:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 6.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 59.3% White, 17.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Jefferson Elementary School, with a diversity index of 70.5/100.

Its largest campus is Summit High School, enrolling 1,198 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Primary Center at Jefferson, at 116 students, a 10x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Summit High School accounts for 30.0% of all Summit Public School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Summit 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

Summit Public School District school enrollment varies 10× across entities

Summit Public School District school enrollment ranges from 116 students (lowest) to 1,198 students (highest), a spread of 1,082 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

Summit Public School District student-counselor ratio is 289:1 — 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 Summit Public School District is typically wider than the Summit Public School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Summit Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 6.9% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

6.0%
Federal
22.5%
State
71.5%
Local

Funding Equity

42
Equity Score
375 / 587
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 9 schools in Summit Public School District.

White 59.3%
Hispanic or Latino 17.8%
African American 4.1%
Asian 12.8%
Multiracial 6.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 58.0/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Jefferson Elementary School 70.5
  2. 2 Primary Center at Jefferson 64.9
  3. 3 Washington Elementary School 61.4
  4. 4 Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School 61.2
  5. 5 Summit High School 59.6

Programs & Resources

1 / 9
Schools with AP
25 AP courses total
289:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
6.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Summit Public School District

School Enrollment
Summit High School
1,198
Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School
871
Franklin Elementary School
369
Lincoln-Hubbard Elementary School
351
Brayton Elementary School
335
Washington Elementary School
323
Jefferson Elementary School
221
Primary Center at Wilson
203
Primary Center at Jefferson
116

How Summit Public 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 Less locally funded
Carteret Public School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Phillipsburg School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Moorestown Township Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Fort Lee School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Summit 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

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

Compare Summit Public 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 Summit Public School District?

Summit Public School District has 9 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 5 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 3,950 students.

How much does Summit Public School District spend per student?

Summit Public School District spends $24,281 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #375 in New Jersey.

What is the demographic composition of Summit Public School District?

Summit Public School District students are 59.3% White, 17.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 4.1% African American, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Summit Public School District?

Summit Public School District has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #375 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.