Wildwood 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.

Wildwood, New Jersey - 3 schools

An equity score of 93/100 ranks Wildwood City School District #4 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $34,381 per pupil, Wildwood City School District ranks #31 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

864
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$34,381
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Wildwood City School District operates 3 public schools serving 864 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 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 $34,381 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 65 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 44.1% local, 31.3% state, and 24.7% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 93/100, ranked #4 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 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 185.6:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 29.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 66.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% White, 8.7% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Wildwood High School, with a diversity index of 57.2/100.

Its largest campus is Glenwood Avenue Elementary School, enrolling 367 students (47% of the district's total enrollment).

Glenwood Avenue Elementary School accounts for 42.5% of all Wildwood City School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Wildwood City School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Wildwood City School District school enrollment varies 2.3× across entities

Wildwood City School District school enrollment ranges from 157 students (lowest) to 367 students (highest), a spread of 210 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Wildwood City School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 75.0% 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). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. 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

Wildwood City School District student-counselor ratio is 186:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Wildwood City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 29.7% — 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 Wildwood City School District is typically wider than the Wildwood 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?

24.7%
Federal
31.3%
State
44.1%
Local

Funding Equity

93
Equity Score
4 / 587
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Wildwood City School District.

White 20.6%
Hispanic or Latino 66.8%
African American 8.7%
Asian 1.0%
Multiracial 2.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 49.1/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Wildwood High School 57.2
  2. 2 Glenwood Avenue Elementary School 49.5
  3. 3 Wildwood Middle School 40.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
4 AP courses total
185.6:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
29.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Wildwood City School District

School Enrollment
Glenwood Avenue Elementary School
367
Wildwood High School
261
Wildwood Middle School
157

How Wildwood City School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Gateway Regional High School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Community Charter School of Paterson Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Lakeland Regional High School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Hudson Arts and Science Charter School Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Long Hill Township School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

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

Compare Wildwood 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 Wildwood City School District?

Wildwood City School District has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 864 students.

How much does Wildwood City School District spend per student?

Wildwood City School District spends $34,381 per student. The district has an equity score of 93/100, ranking #4 in New Jersey.

What is the demographic composition of Wildwood City School District?

Wildwood City School District students are 66.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% White, 8.7% African American, 1.0% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Wildwood City School District?

Wildwood City School District has an equity score of 93/100, ranking #4 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.