High school (grades 9-12) · South Plainfield, NJ

South Plainfield High School

Federal NCES profile for South Plainfield High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 341536003632
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10061/100
👥 S:T ratio
57
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
48
📋 Attendance
69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

South Plainfield High School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Jersey schools.

#3 of 7
public schools in South Plainfield · Resource Index
61
Resource Index · Higher
10.8:1
students per teacher
17.3%
free-lunch eligible

South Plainfield High School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, South Plainfield High School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in South Plainfield, NJ.

School address

South Plainfield, NJ 07080
District: South Plainfield School District · New Jersey

NCES ID 341536003632 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-6 students YoY

South Plainfield High School held near 1,091 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-6 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 97.2 → 96.2 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-6 students YoY 341536003632 · South Plainfield, NJ High · MID · TRAD

1,044 enr · 10.8:1 · 17.3% lunch · RII 61

Nearest enrollment peer: Grant Elementary School (568 students)

South Plainfield High School held near 1,091 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-6 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 97.2 → 96.2 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · New Jersey schools → · Find another →

South Plainfield High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows South Plainfield High School reports 1,044 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How South Plainfield High School compares

South Plainfield High School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs New Jersey and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs New Jersey New Jersey avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 10.8:1 ▼ 8% 11.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 17.3% ▼ 42% 29.6% 51.7%
Enrollment 1,044 top 9% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,044
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
17.3%
free-lunch eligible - 42% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.8:1
students per teacher - 8% below state mean
Top 41% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$23,727
per pupil, district-wide - below New Jersey avg of $26,225
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 261 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
90
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 37.0%
White 33.4%
Asian 13.5%
African American 13.4%
Two or More 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 37.0% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 71.5/100

Simpson diversity index - at 71.5, South Plainfield High School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.

Programs

AP courses offered 20
Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for South Plainfield School District reports $23,727 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How South Plainfield High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Grant Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
South Plainfield Middle School Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Roosevelt Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
John E Riley Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Franklin Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to South Plainfield High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

South Plainfield School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~1,044 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)

Frequently asked questions about South Plainfield High School

How many students attend South Plainfield High School?

South Plainfield High School has 1,044 students enrolled. It is a high school in South Plainfield, NJ. CCD year-over-year: 1,097 (2022-23) → 1,091 (2023-24), nearly flat (-6).

What is the student-teacher ratio at South Plainfield High School?

The student-teacher ratio at South Plainfield High School is 10.8:1, which is 8% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 31% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Plainfield High School?

17.3% of students at South Plainfield High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Plainfield High School?

The largest demographic group at South Plainfield High School is Hispanic or Latino at 37.0% of enrollment, in South Plainfield, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.5/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for South Plainfield High School?

South Plainfield High School has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does South Plainfield High School rank among public schools in South Plainfield?

By Resource Investment Index, South Plainfield High School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in South Plainfield, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in South Plainfield on the city page.

What other schools are in South Plainfield School District?

Besides South Plainfield High School, South Plainfield School District also operates Grant Elementary School (568 students), South Plainfield Middle School (553 students), and Roosevelt Elementary School (472 students). See the South Plainfield School District district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .