Union City 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.

Union City, New Jersey - 14 schools

An equity score of 67/100 ranks Union City School District #110 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $24,064 per pupil, Union City School District ranks #326 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

12,848
Total Enrollment
14
Schools
$24,064
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Union City School District operates 14 public schools serving 12,848 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 combined, 2 high, 2 middle, 2 elementary 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 Hudson County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $24,064 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 4.9% local, 81.9% state, and 13.1% 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 67/100, ranked #110 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 2 of 14 schools offering Advanced Placement (16 AP courses district-wide), a 446.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 23.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 93.2% Hispanic or Latino, 3.4% White, 2.0% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Sara M. Gilmore Academy, with a diversity index of 40.0/100.

Its largest campus is Union City High School, enrolling 3,147 students (27% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Jefferson Elementary School, at 272 students, a 12x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Union City High School accounts for 24.5% of all Union City School District student enrollment

That concentration means Union City 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

Union City School District school enrollment varies 12× across entities

Union City School District school enrollment ranges from 272 students (lowest) to 3,147 students (highest), a spread of 2,875 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

Union City School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 71.2% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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

Union City School District student-counselor ratio is 446:1 — 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.

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

Union City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 23.8% — 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 Union City School District is typically wider than the Union City 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?

13.1%
Federal
81.9%
State
4.9%
Local

Funding Equity

67
Equity Score
110 / 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 14 schools in Union City School District.

White 3.4%
Hispanic or Latino 93.2%
African American 1.2%
Asian 2.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 12.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Union City School District's schools, below the New Jersey average of 51.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Sara M. Gilmore Academy 40.0
  2. 2 Hudson Elementary School 20.6
  3. 3 Jefferson Elementary School 16.0
  4. 4 Eugenio Maria De Hostos Center for Early Childhood Education 15.5
  5. 5 Jose Marti Stem Academy 14.7

Programs & Resources

2 / 14
Schools with AP
16 AP courses total
446.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
23.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Union City School District

How Union City School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Passaic City School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Hamilton Township Public School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Woodbridge Township School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Toms River Regional School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Trenton Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Union City 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 Union City School District?

Union City School District has 14 schools, including 2 high, 2 middle, 8 combined, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 12,848 students.

How much does Union City School District spend per student?

Union City School District spends $24,064 per student. The district has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #110 in New Jersey.

What is the demographic composition of Union City School District?

Union City School District students are 93.2% Hispanic or Latino, 3.4% White, 2.0% Asian, 1.2% African American, averaged across 14 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Union City School District?

Union City School District has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #110 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.