Woodcliff Lake 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.

Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey - 2 schools

An equity score of 52/100 ranks Woodcliff Lake School District #286 of 587 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $26,064 per pupil, Woodcliff Lake School District ranks #203 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

746
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$26,064
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Woodcliff Lake School District operates 2 public schools serving 746 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 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 Bergen County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $26,064 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 76.7% local, 20.6% state, and 2.6% 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 52/100, ranked #286 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.

a 366:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 6.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 75.9% White, 11.5% Asian, 9.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Dorchester Elementary School, enrolling 494 students (67% of the district's total enrollment).

Dorchester Elementary School accounts for 66.2% of all Woodcliff Lake School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Woodcliff Lake School District a distant remainder — means Woodcliff Lake 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

Woodcliff Lake School District student-counselor ratio is 366:1 — 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

Woodcliff Lake School District chronic absenteeism rate is 6.0% — 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?

2.6%
Federal
20.6%
State
76.7%
Local

Funding Equity

52
Equity Score
286 / 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 2 schools in Woodcliff Lake School District.

White 75.9%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
Asian 11.5%
Multiracial 2.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

366:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
6.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Woodcliff Lake School District

School Enrollment
Dorchester Elementary School
494
Woodcliff Middle School
238

How Woodcliff Lake School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Mountainside School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Freedom Prep Charter School Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Old Tappan Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
East Rutherford School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Somers Point School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Woodcliff Lake 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 Woodcliff Lake School District?

Woodcliff Lake School District has 2 schools, including 1 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 746 students.

How much does Woodcliff Lake School District spend per student?

Woodcliff Lake School District spends $26,064 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #286 in New Jersey.

What is the demographic composition of Woodcliff Lake School District?

Woodcliff Lake School District students are 75.9% White, 11.5% Asian, 9.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% African American, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Woodcliff Lake School District?

Woodcliff Lake School District has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #286 out of 587 districts in New Jersey.