Upper Township 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.

Petersburg, New Jersey - 3 schools

An equity score of 35/100 ranks Upper Township School District #444 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $21,683 per pupil, Upper Township School District ranks #496 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,408
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$21,683
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Upper Township School District operates 3 public schools serving 1,408 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 combined, 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 Cape May County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,683 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 64.6% local, 30.2% 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 35/100, ranked #444 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.

a 452:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 9.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 90.5% White, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Upper Township Elementary School, with a diversity index of 19.1/100.

Its largest campus is Upper Township Elementary School, enrolling 477 students (35% of the district's total enrollment).

Upper Township Elementary School accounts for 33.9% of all Upper Township School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Upper Township School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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

Upper Township School District student-counselor ratio is 452:1 — 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

Upper Township School District chronic absenteeism rate is 9.4% — 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?

5.3%
Federal
30.2%
State
64.6%
Local

Funding Equity

35
Equity Score
444 / 587
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Upper Township School District.

White 90.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
African American 0.8%
Multiracial 2.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 17.7/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Upper Township Elementary School 19.1
  2. 2 Upper Township Primary School 17.9
  3. 3 Upper Township Middle School 16.2

Programs & Resources

452:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
9.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Upper Township School District

School Enrollment
Upper Township Elementary School
477
Upper Township Primary School
460
Upper Township Middle School
419

How Upper Township School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
College Achieve Central Charter School Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Hopatcong Borough School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Audubon Public School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Red Bank Regional School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Ridgefield School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Upper Township 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 Upper Township School District →
Elizabeth Public Schools
28,266 students · 37 schools · $24,380/pupil
Compare vs Upper Township School District →
Jersey City Public Schools
26,647 students · 39 schools · $26,862/pupil
Compare vs Upper Township School District →

Compare Upper Township 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 Upper Township School District?

Upper Township School District has 3 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,408 students.

How much does Upper Township School District spend per student?

Upper Township School District spends $21,683 per student. The district has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #444 in New Jersey.

What is the demographic composition of Upper Township School District?

Upper Township School District students are 90.5% White, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Upper Township School District?

Upper Township School District has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #444 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.